What’s Periscope, You Ask?
September 25, 2015
Kids these days with their 801 million social platforms – am I right? (Whatever happened to the days of MySpace and LiveJournal)? It can be hard to keep track of it all and know whether you should be utilizing each one in your marketing campaigns (the answer is no, by the way. You do not need to use every single one that comes along). Sometimes though, a platform comes along that catches your attention and makes you think about all the ways you could integrate it into your advertising. That's where Periscope comes in!
Periscope is a live-streaming video mobile app that Twitter purchased in February 2015. Twitter then rolled it out to the public on March 26, 2015. Basically what Periscope allows you to do is broadcast "live" from your smartphone from any location, at any time of the day or night. And viewers can tune in to your broadcast from anywhere in the world and chat with you in real time while you broadcast (they type in questions/messages which pop up on your phone's screen, which you can then answer verbally). Yes, there are a couple of other networks like this out there right now but Periscope is currently the No. 1 fastest-growing social network to date! Have a look at these numbers: 1) Periscope hit 1 million users in 10 days and 2) Periscope hit 10 million users in 4 months. Wow! Even more staggering than the size of this user base is the amount of content users are consuming: 40 years of content is viewed every day on Periscope. Yes . . .40 years. Unbelievable!
So you know there's absolutely an audience there, at the ready, just waiting for you to press "record"…but what are you going to do during a "live" stream? Here's a few thoughts to get you started:
1) Live product demos – Are customers always wondering how a certain product of yours works or have a new product coming out? Set up a Periscope broadcast and show 'em exactly how it's done! So do an interactive product demonstration by answering pertinent questions from viewers. Showcase cool product features, packaging, etc.
2) Behind-the-scenes look into how your product is made or what your offices look like – People love the idea of " being on the inside" and showing them the magic that happens behind-the-scenes is a fabulous way of humanizing your brand. Not only are you letting people see the art on your office walls but they're seeing you and your employees faces and now have an idea of with whom they're actually dealing. Periscope takes the business/consumer experience and makes it very personal by having the consumer connect with a real person, which in turn builds the "know, like and trust" factor at a faster rate.
3) Live events – Having a live event that not everyone in your fan base can attend? Stream it on Periscope and let everyone know ahead of time when it'll be showing.
4) Expand your fan base – Periscope opens up a big, wide world of new people with whom to interact. Once you start interacting on a regular basis here, you can then start adding people to Facebook or your mailing list, etc.
What do you think? Ready to take the plunge and give Periscope a whirl? Or even just dip in a toe and do something small just to see what it's about? Video is essential for marketing as the world has become a visually driven place. As we get more and more "now, please!", I suspect live-streaming will only get bigger and bigger. Happy broadcasting!
Keeping it Fresh
August 20, 2015
When's the last time you updated your website? A lot of small businesses will build their website and then never touch it again unless it's to add a special or update the contact information or the such. It could be because they just don't think about it with everything else they have going on. It may be that there simply isn't enough time. Or maybe they don't even see the point. We're here to tell you that big OR small, your website should have steady content updates to boost your business' online marketing.
First off, let's discuss content. Content isn't just the copy on your site. Content is anything that acts as a communication tool: images, videos, newsletters, social media and even design are all examples of website content. Updating is starting to sound a lot easier all of a sudden, huh? You can post blogs weekly or connect your Twitter feed so that it updates automatically to your site. Maybe post videos of product demonstrations or photos of "behind the scenes" at work. Do whatever fits your company's personality best so long as you remember that content = practically anything!
Why update frequently? Having fresh content tells the consumer that you have a personal investment in your services or product. If YOU believe in what you do, it's easier for them to believe in you. Having new content of good quality on a continual basis also turns visitors into repeat visitors and that is exactly what you're looking for. Need even more reasons? How about SEO? Search engines have undergone recent algorithm changes that equate bringing sites with fresher content to the top of the search list. If you want to be on top on Google, you'll need to stay on top of your website.
If you're still having some doubts about whether you can keep a stream of content coming, here are some ideas you might consider. Ask your customers what they want to know about and write blogs about that or host an informal "talk show" of sorts. Giving your clientele exactly what they want has probably never hurt anyone before! Have something that was a hit in the past? Use it as inspiration. Make a Part II or drag an idea out of it to use. If you're still having trouble, with writing at least, you can hire someone to write blog posts for you on a steady basis. If you're working with someone like us here at SMS, it's incredibly reasonably priced and tailored to your needs, making your life much easier.
Remember, content is important. Keep it coming and keep it fresh! Have an idea of your own you want to share? Leave us a comment below!
It’s Time for That Mid-Year Review!
June 23, 2015
Summer's here and the living is easy. Life is laid-back; customers abound; what more could a business want? Knowing that your 2015 marketing plan is going to, well, plan is always a good place to start. Summer is the perfect time to review your marketing plan and strategies to decide what's working and what isn't. So what's the best way to do so?
First things first, dust off your 2015 marketing plan. Take a look at the plan you put together back in January with ideas on how to grow your business in 2015. Did you ever start that blog or newsletter, test a pay-per-click campaign, or launch a referral program? What’s working best, and what still requires some more attention? How happy are you with what's been accomplished the past 6 months? You may not have much to change! But if not…
Go over each of the points and compare where you are now with where you were projecting you'd be. Are you on track? Have you accomplished what you planned? Consider where you are now and decide what you want to achieve by the end of the year. While you're at it, do some spring cleaning. Cut your least-performing marketing activities. Marketing can be hit or miss – don't keep something that isn't working for you just because it's what everybody else is doing at the moment.
Think about how you can change and improve things. A fabulous mid-year change is updating your website. Add some new content based on your 2015 experiences thus far – like success stories, client testimonials, or best practices.
You can't let the year pass you by without making a few changes. The review will take less time than you think and you'll reap the benefits. We're also including this 100 Point Mid-Year Marketing Checklist as a quick in-depth guide. And when you've gone through and decided on what changes, if any, you'd like to make, remember that Social Marketing Solutions is here at all times to help your company have the best marketing campaign possible.
Instagram – It’s a Snap!
February 14, 2015
It's a whole new world out there in social media, and believe it or not Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn aren't the only main players anymore. From Snapchat to Google+, there are a host of social media platforms that your company should be taking advantage of this year. Recently, we've been discussing Instagram on social media, so we decided to delve in a little further.
What exactly is Instagram? Instagram is a mobile photo-sharing and video-sharing social network. It enables its users to take pictures and videos and share them, not just on Instagram itself, but also on a variety of other platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. One distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to a Polaroid image. Users can also apply digital filters to their images. As for videos, the main feature is that the maximum duration is only 15 seconds. Similar to other social networks, users on Instagram can follow other users as well as leave comments on photos and videos.
How can Instagram be used for marketing? Audiences today prefer to be reached via visuals and short messages. They also want personal experiences with brands – experiences that are both engaging and accessible. Instagram allows brands to do this in real time while giving users a different experience than customers using other platforms. Also consider that much like Twitter, Instagram relies upon hashtags as a way for users to find the things they love. Tagging your brand's photos with the right categories will have you reaching a wider audience than you could just via Facebook and your website. And if you're interested in the numbers behind Instagram, take a look at this:
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Do You Pinterest?
January 22, 2015
It's a whole new world out there in social media, and believe it or not Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn aren't the only main players anymore. From Snapchat to Google+, there are a host of social media platforms that your company should be taking advantage of this year. This week, we're going to highlight the image pinning social network, Pinterest.
What exactly is Pinterest? If you're not already familiar with it, Pinterest is a social network where users "pin" images they find all over the web to boards they've created that are categorized (i.e. "Food", "Wedding Venues", "Places I Want to Travel"). How does it work? Users visually share their "pins", which they either upload from their computer or find on the web. Using a visual orientation, Pinterest's goal is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting." The social network is highly focused on lifestyles, wanting you to share your tastes and interests with others and discovering the tastes and interests of likeminded people. And as with other social networks, users can follow friends, like and comment on other users' pins, re-pin content to their own boards and share others' pins on Facebook and Twitter or via email.
So how can Pinterest be used for marketing? Consider this – in 2013 alone, Pinterest surpassed email and Facebook as an online content sharing medium. And it's only grown from there. Adding the Pinterest's "Pin It" button to your website enables people to add your stuff to Pinterest – and every pin leads back to the site it came from. Since Pinterest is highly visual, it also gives your business the opportunity to engage customers with compelling images – for example, you can promote deals and new products or create boards that show how to use your products. Or how about creating an employee board where you pin pictures of your employees so people can put faces to your name? Pinterest is an easy and great way to make your business more personable and easily accessible!
Social media reaches far and wide and comes in all different shapes and sizes. Make sure your online marketing plan isn't stagnant with just the use of the "Top 3" – branch out to target different demographics, and if you need help maintaining your online presence, we're just a call away! We're skilled in using a variety of social media sites and can help make your company's presence pop. Till next time!
Welcome to Snapchat
January 10, 2015
It's a whole new world out there in social media, and believe it or not Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn aren't the only main players anymore. From Pinterest to Google+, there are a host of social media platforms that your company should be taking advantage of this year. This week, we're going to highlight the mobile app, Snapchat.
What exactly is Snapchat? If you're not already familiar with it, Snapchat is a photo messaging app. How does it work? With the application, users can take photos, record videos, add text and drawings, and send them to a controlled list of recipients. These sent photographs and videos are known as "Snaps". Users set a time limit for how long recipients can view their Snaps, up to 10 seconds, and after they will be hidden from the recipient's device and deleted from Snapchat's servers forever. Doesn't exactly sound mobile marketing friendly though, does it?
Surprisingly, however, it is marketing friendly. As long as you can be creative you can send Snaps directly to the group of people you want. Plus, Snapchat now has new features such as, chat and advertisements, and considering it's estimated 10 billion dollar value, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, it has quickly become one of the most popular social media apps among young adults, even beating out Facebook!
Social media reaches far and wide and comes in all different shapes and sizes. Make sure your online marketing plan isn't stagnant with just the use of the "Top 3" – branch out to target different demographics, and if you need help maintaining your online presence, we're just a call away! We're skilled in using a variety of social media sites and can help make your company's presence pop. Till next time!
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
