Tag Archives: social media marketers
Are You Connection Rich? How to grow your local business.
Connection Rich: When value is generated by making connections.
Is your business connection rich? Are you utilizing every possible avenue to increase your company’s visibility and reach new customers where new customers are looking? Let’s take a look at what you need to be designating a full time position to for your business to survive and thrive in 2016.
1. Social media. For many — if not all — small businesses, connecting with customers, prospects, suppliers, and others via social media can deliver tremendous value. It is always suggested that you hire a professional, like everzocial, to assist you in covering all these basis on a consistent and daily basis.
To get connection rich using social media, you need to understand who you are trying to reach and what your goal is when you reach them. In other words, it wouldn’t make any sense to consider established customers and brand new prospects in the same way. Further, you might establish social media relationships with suppliers as a way to improve your competitiveness; suppliers may, for example, use their social media channels as pipelines for insider tips and other useful industry information.
Taking this a bit further, Alignable is one social media platform whose purpose it is to create and enhance relationships between businesses. Connecting with similar small businesses can be extremely helpful, for example, when you’re trying to determine which cloud services would best suit your business.
2. Review sites. When you’re using your social media accounts, you’re broadcasting information about your small business and trying to spur people’s interest. When customers say something about you on a review site — or their own social media accounts — they are taking over the microphone. You need to recognize these instances as opportunities to create connections.
An important attribute of being connection rich is to recognize that it’s not just about your direct connections, it’s also about the onlookers and others who will hear things via word of mouth. Take advantage of the review sites and even create strategies that will point your customers toward positive reviews to start a conversation among people that will cover to positive revenue for you.
3. Forums. Forums are probably the most overlooked avenue for engaging prospects in becoming connection rich. Some successful small businesses have started because their owners first established themselves as experts on the forums. However, the point to stress here is that you should engage on as many good forums as there are that relate to your business, and your posts should be very helpful and knowledgeable. To be ranked as an authority you have be an authority.
Create time each week or hire a designated Marketing professional, like everzocial, to browse relevant forums and look for posts that pose questions or discuss problems. The connections you make while interjecting can be very valuable in the long run of your success.
4. Local community. Old-fashioned local networking should never be overlooked in this age of high-tech, web-based connections. For many small business owners, their local connections are by far their most important.
Have you noticed that all the highly successful local business leaders are heavily involved in community business groups along with other local events and organizations? Do you think this is merely coincidence? Do you think they had achieved their level of success before they got involved with the community?
Social Media and SEO and a great Website Design are merely the tools you have to have full time in order of survival. The roots of your business and how it grows are strongest at its personal core; the people and personalities behind the business that are worthy of being connection rich. Many newcomers start out as unknowns, but by working with community groups they make names for themselves as both knowledgeable and trustworthy. Establishing yourself in your local community will pay big dividends over the years. These are investments you’ll make more with your time than with your money. The Beatles were a success in Liverpool first; then they hired a manager to market them and they went global. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Contact us today for free assessment of your online needs and goals.
5. Employees, family and friends. Connecting with all the individuals in your business and personal lives is extremely important. Your family and close friends should be among the biggest boosters for your small business. This means that you should be certain they understand what you do and have even experienced it themselves.
They should be shopping at your store or using the service you provide whenever possible. Then, when they know people who need what you provide, you’ll get a recommendation.
This is extremely important with your employees. You need to develop these connections so well that they go beyond mere employees and become brand advocates who are ready to put in a good word for your small business even when they’re “off the clock.” This means you must treat your employees well, give them opportunities to advacnce and have input regarding the direction of your business: If you don’t listen to your employees, you can’t expect them to speak up for you.
Your business is your business. No one cares more about your business than you do. Your business should be taken very seriously and should be met with great passion and exhilaration. Do your part to grow your company in the community face-to-face and get involved with other local business owners that are also growing. Hire smart. Delegate all tasks other than your sole focus of increasing your revenue. Utilize all your connections and turn them into revenue boosting tools that you can press like buttons to generate sales and new customers. Being connection rich isn’t just about having the connections, it’s about using those connections to further your business and grow your revenue.
At everzocial we would be very happy to assist you in all your online needs, so that you can focus on your business.
Contact us today for Free Assessment.
Social Media: From Personal to Pro
For a small business owner, knowing where to begin with social media can be overwhelming, especially if it’s a new concept. To start, running a personal Facebook or Twitter is MUCH different than running a business Facebook or Twitter. There are a few rules & regulations to abide by, both to uphold your brand name and reputation, and to grow your overall media presence.
Take a look at the infographic below, and be sure to check out our own pro tips posted beneath!
These general guidelines will help you create content that is both sensitive & intruiging!
Everzocial PRO tips on your DO-list:
1) Truly be consistent! We recommend 1-2 Facebook posts a day, and if you even miss one, single day, your Facebook insights will show it! Having a consistent queue of quality content that your fans can scroll through is extremely important to your social media reputation.
2) Don’t just post – ENGAGE. This means respond to all comments and posts on your page, visit the pages you’ve liked and engage on THEIR pages, comment on posts in your newsfeed… the more your business name gets out there, the larger your fan base will grow!
Everzocial PRO tips on your DON’T-list:
1) DO. NOT. SPAM. We cannot emphasize this enough. Your fans want to engage with you on a relational level, not a commercial level. Think about this: why did YOU join Facebook? To follow the people you love, to grow relationships with them, right? Use your business in a similar fashion, and this will gain your fans’ trust.
2) Don’t stick to just one social media platform. Facebook, though the most popular, is not the only avenue or medium for reaching people. Pinterest, for example, attracts a different kind of people with different interests than, say, Twitter. Contemplate which platforms will optimize your business’s reach, and start dedicating a quality bit of time to them to grow your fan base there.
Yes, it’s a lot. Social media marketing is definitely a full-time, non-stop job, requiring monitoring 24/7.
Which, by the way, is why WE exist… so if you want to grow your online presence and simply don’t have the time, we’d LOVE to help, so contact us. 🙂
A Social Media Mother’s Day
The other day at work I was desperately trying to get the creative juices flowing…it was one of those days, you know? My mind started to wander to my personal to-do list. My heart rate increased as I remembered what May 12th is, Mother’s Day.
This is a holiday that gives everyone anxiety. So in my dazed state I decided to write a blog posts about the different ways people are using social media to say Happy Mother’s Day. This gives me a chance to figure out what to do for my mom while simultaneously being productive at work. Yes!
Of course, nothing says Happy Mother’s Day like a lengthy phone call or some chitchat over endless mimosas at brunch, however, don’t forget there are other ways you can show your appreciation for mom and you can do it with a click of a mouse.
Here are some creative ways people and businesses are saying, “I love you mom!” using social media.
They are Recording
Some people have a knack for expressing their creativity through videos. Here are some YouTube videos celebrating moms everywhere.\
What a Mom Wants
Remember that really crappy Mother’s Day gift you got your mom? If you said “which one?” then this video is for you courtesy of Teleflora.
Mother’s Day Gift Fail
This guy tried to get mom’s four-legged friend to deliver her gift for Mother’s Day… the gift was attached to a balloon. Do you see where he went wrong?
Biologist Mother’s Day Song
This video says, “I love you”, or at least we think it does. Ladies and gentlemen a song dedicated to the mother of a biologist.
Mommy Rap
Not really a fan of rap? Take a look at this video of a three-year-old girl rapping about her mom and we guarantee you’ll change your mind.
The Real Mother’s Day
Here is a hilarious rendition of how Mother’s Day usually goes.
Stay tuned for more ways people are giving moms a shout out online!
Pinterest Pinpoints Your Potential
Pinterest’s New Analytics Tool Allows Businesses to Track User’s Engagement…for Free
I know what you’re thinking; nothing in life (worth having) is free, until now. Pinterest launched its free analytics tool for site owners March 12, giving them the opportunity to gain insight into what works and what doesn’t for their fans.
Anyone with a verified business account can access this gold mine of information. Just log in to your account and go to your drop-down menu located at the top right corner of your screen, then click “Analytics”.
While the analytics tool is fairly basic, there’s still a lot of valuable information here. “The free tool allows site owners to track the number of pinners and pins collecting material from their sites, and the number of repinners and repins those initial pins received,” said Lauren Indvik, Mashable’s associate business editor. “Site owners can also track total impressions and reach on the network, as well as referral traffic, both in clicks and unique visitors, sent back to their sites.”
In addition, you can take a snapshot in time by adjusting the metrics timeframe. Go back to a particular day, week, or month to track trends and monitor progress.
So why is this relevant to you?
Even though third-party providers such as Pinfluence and Curalate are still, well, providing more intense and in-depth data, Pinterest’s new analytics tool will hopefully give site owners a better understanding of their “Pinterest potential”, allowing them to really give the people what they want. In addition, to pleasing the pinners, your business/brand will have the opportunity to increase awareness and exposure, increasing traffic to your site and ultimately your sales.
I can’t even express to you how great this news is considering the fact that Pinterest users spend more money, more often, and on more products than any of the other top five social media sites according to comScore.
The analytics tool also sets the stage for an ad platform on Pinterest. It is a mistake to advertise on a site without the tools necessary to show you where, when, and who to advertise to. This is like being at Disneyland for your first time and not having a map, you are forced to wander around until you find what you are looking for…proving to be a very ineffective way to spend your time and money.
Most importantly, it helps support the social media marketing cause. A lot of people are non-believers regarding the power of social media for businesses and brands but with this new tool the data has definitely got our back!
So if you haven’t already, go check out this new feature and start monitoring your Pinterest potential.
The Retailer’s Guide to SOLOMO (Social-Local-Mobile) [INFOGRAPHIC]
Did you know that almost 120 million Americans now own a smartphone, and 80 percent of those use their device to access social networks?
SoLoMo (Social-Local-Mobile) is the addition of local information to search engine results to capitalize on the increasing use of mobile, allowing businesses to push relevant offers to customers based on their location. And the results can be unbelievable – smartphones are expected to influence $200 billion worth of sales in 2013.
This infographic takes a closer look at how retailers are making the most of the SoLoMo opportunity.
How To Really Use LinkedIn [INFOGRAPHIC]
LinkedIn is probably the most misunderstood social network for those seeking to market themselves and/or their businesses. We have done tons of research, trial and error, and just plain hard work to find out the best ways to market your business on LinkedIn. Now we aren’t going to share all our ninja tricks right here because there is just way too much to do for the average business owner to be able to do it themselves. We did however, find an excellent resource of tips and tricks that you can implement and have great success with. Here is the LinkedIn Bootcamp [INFOGRAPHIC] for your viewing and learning pleasure. Courtesy of mindflash.com.
![Linkedin Bootcamp [INFOGRAPHIC]](https://www.everzocial.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Linkedin-Bootcamp.png)
TRENDING: Small Businesses are Increasing Social Media Efforts and Budgets for 2013
Although small business owners are struggling with the added workload of social media and content creation, small businesses are ramping up their social efforts and are increasingly finding value in paying others to help them with their social media efforts.
According to an online survey of 462 businesses (93% with fewer than 100 employees), conducted between Sept. 17 and Oct. 5 by VerticalResponse, 66% of small businesses are spending more time and money on social media than they did a year ago, with 43% spending six or more hours per week on social media activities for their business.
How are those hours being spent? On Facebook and Twitter, mostly, as 90% of respondents are active on the Facebook; 70% on the Twitter. Only a third of the small businesses surveyed said they are able to publish to their social networks every day.
For some small business owners, spending six or more hours per week on social media activities, coupled with the one to three hours for writing a single blog post, creates a major time strain.
That’s why small businesses are investing more in getting help with their social media publishing efforts. The data suggests that if a small business is going to increase its budget, it will likely be for social media rather than marketing; 36% of those surveyed pay for social media publishing and analytics tools.
Small businesses should proceed with caution when considering when looking to have employees manager their social media. Always consider getting help from a reputable, professional social media management firm like everzocial.
Here’s an infographic highlighting the research data from Vertical Response:
Small Business Owners Are Finally Believing In Social Media
Small business owners are taking social marketing seriously when it comes to establishing and promoting themselves online. In a recent survey by Manta, 90% of small business owners are committed to spending time or money to engage with their clients in social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
This is significant in that small-business owners have been social network holdouts over the past few years and are finally adopting social media. Erik Qualman, the author of the wildly successful book Socialnomics states that “businesses don’t have a choice on whether to do social media, the question is how well they do it. ”
What is changing their minds?
Well the biggest benefit seems to be related to one of the findings in the survey and that is that 78% say that being found by new customers through social media channels is the main reason they are investing in social marketing. “Small businesses understand they need to go where their audience is. Participating, networking and being found online is extremely important today in growing their business, so it’s not surprising that they are embracing the channel”, said Pamela Springer, CEO of Manta.
However, the large amount of online and social media channels available can be overwhelming for today’s small business owner to navigate and use successfully. Business owners just don’t have the time or energy to maintain a consistent presence for both their business and themselves. Many of them are turning to companies like everzocial™ that specialize in being their voice online and allowing them to focus on what they do best, managing their business.
The bottom line is that all the recently conducted surveys reveal an interesting trend. Those who haven’t thought of spending time and resources on social networking should think again.