Social Media News For The Week Of 8/23/13

7 Steps to Productive Business Use of Social Media

 

Most businesses today are employing some form of social media marketing within their overall marketing strategy. However, many do not realize the importance of having a social media marketing strategy unto itself. After failing to gain measurable results, some companies even return to their former marketing techniques. Social media marketing requires a whole new approach, which falls outside the bounds of traditional methodology. Full Story Here:

 

How to Use Social Media Listening to Build Brand Loyalty

 

Social media marketing offers businesses increased opportunity to hear what consumers are saying about their products, gaining valuable feedback as a result. Beyond merely selling, social network engagement provides companies a forum to clearly learn what the needs are of their target audience. A company that listens and takes heed of what they learn will earn the brand loyalty of their customers. Full Story Here:

 

3 Ways Images Are Changing The Role Of Social Media Marketers

 

The rise of image-oriented social media sites, such as Instagram and Pinterest, is changing the way businesses engage their audience across the medium. Brands are learning how images can garner increased attention and response to their postings, when properly utilized. New techniques, skills, and strategy are required for a business to effectively leverage this growing trend. Full Story Here:

 

Social Apps Trigger Engagement On Business Websites

 

Businesses are incorporating social applications on their websites and seeing results from utilizing these social widgets. This is according to a study by eMarketer which found that 75 percent of companies have added the tools to their business websites. Almost 90 percent of those that have report higher engagement levels with their target audiences, while 54 percent state they are now better connected with their brand’s followers. Full Story Here:

 

 

 

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Want to Increase Your Social Media Reach?

Post Content That Helps People and Post Often.

By posting articles often you are giving people more reasons to visit your social media marketing site. It’s clearly a numbers game. Frequent posts raise the likelihood that you will attract more visitors. If you give people valuable content and often they will frequent your site to get your message. Most importantly, they will share your information with their friends. Posts need not be lengthy but they do need to provide a service and help people learn more about you products and services. In this fast paced business climate brevity is probably an advantage

Additionally, using effective topical keywords, graphics, and links to supplemental information will make your content appealing and improve your SEO rating. In time, you’ll find yourself rising in the Google search engine return results.

It’s hard to acquire your initial followers, but once you establish yourself as a valuable resource it’s easy to grow a broader audience. The key is to post quality information on a consistent schedule.

Resign yourself to be the best in your niche and the expert go-to resource for helpful material. Make quality and quantity work for your business.

Go to OnFast.com today to learn more about our Social Media Marketing Service and sign up for a 30 free trial.

 

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Content is king when it comes to social media marketing

Brilliant social media marketing campaigns start with a customer-centric approach. It’s a wise entrepreneur who develops a plan that takes into account content, factual data, and customer perceptions. Quality content that reflects a deep understanding of your audience will help drive prospects and customers to the compelling conclusion to purchase your goods and services. Seek to align your customer’s needs with those of your company. Relevant content is the all-important attraction that enables engagement and subsequently entices the reader to action. Good content results in improved social engagement, referrals, and sales at a low customer acquisition cost that has no equal.

Posting informational and promotional content, often with imbedded industry keywords will increase your search engine optimization (SEO) and visibility on Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Additionally, you should seek to improve the reach of your targeted content by carefully choosing relevant distribution channels for your message.  A presence on Facebook, Twitter, Google , YouTube, and a blog is essential.

OnFast.com is the easiest way to distribute content across the social web. Start your free 30-day trial today.

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Social media News For The Week Of 8/16/13

Business, Etiquette and Social Media

In the course of conducting business and living in the fast-paced 21st century, it is easy for some people to forget that proper manners count. Having good business etiquette shapes the way you are perceived by both customers and your peers. This applies to social media marketing just as much as every other aspect of business. Use sound judgment and think through every post you make or your reply to comments on the company page. Full Story Here:

 

Social Media Marketing: How Do Top Brands Use Social Platforms? [Charts]

Very interesting series of infographics about how larger companies, worldwide, are utilizing social media platforms. Based on a study by think tank, L2, of 247 of the world’s top tier brands. Major takeaway from this information is that brands receive lower rankings in Google searches if they are not active on social media. Full Story Here:

 

Does Your Social Media Marketing Actually Have Strategy?

It is vitally important today for a business to have a robust social media presence. The truth of that statement is being proved correct every day. However, what good is social media engagement for a brand if it is implemented without a clear strategy and having concrete and measurable goals in mind? Just showing up will not get the job done. Full Story Here:

 

Social Media Strategy: Using Facebook or Twitter for Business

Part of planning and implementing a social media strategy is carefully choosing which social platforms to concentrate your brand’s efforts. Between the two largest social networks there are many pros and cons. Careful analysis of your company’s target audience and customer base and establishing what the goals are for your brand will help narrow the field. Full Story Here:

 

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Using Hashtags On Facebook For Business

The recent roll out by Facebook, allowing the use of functional hashtags, presents an opportunity for businesses that market themselves on the world’s largest social network. Hashtags simplify searching for and sharing of information and have been a popular tool on other social networks, such as Twitter. A hashtag consists of a ‘#’ symbol, followed by a word or phrase. A hashtag, when clicked, will take the user to a feed of all posts that include that tag word. These hashtags are completely clickable and also searchable.

 

Opportunities provided by hashtags on Facebook for brands include:

 

1 - Promoting

Carefully chosen keywords can be used as a hashtag and bring your company’s promotions to a wider audience, beyond your existing base of followers. Be careful that the words chosen cannot be associated in any way with unpleasant or controversial subjects. Also, make sure they are unique enough not to bring up a slew of unrelated results. Make sure you test your hashtags before you use them.

 

2 - Monitoring

Hashtags offer a way for businesses to closely monitor the conversations surrounding their brand by following their hashtag’s feed. This will provide valuable marketing intelligence, and keep track of how a brand is talked about on Facebook.

 

3 - Targeting

Hashtags give businesses the ability to target specific audience segments that may be following certain, specific hashtags. By using #greatburgers, for example, a restaurant could target all of the people looking to eat out at an establishment that serves great burgers.

Unfortunately, functioning hashtags are still not supported on the Facebook mobile app. Users can post hashtags, but without the ability to click-through to the feed. With over a billion users, Facebook’s adoption of the hashtag will bring the mainstream into awareness and use of this sharing, following, and searching tool, which will be beneficial to all.

 

Written and produced in beautiful Naples, Florida by OnFast.com. Go to our website today to learn more about our Social Media Marketing Service.

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You can use social media the same way Wal-Mart does

For local “mom and pop stores” social media is an extremely cost effective way to advertise. This medium is often overlooked by small businesses. When merchants do utilize social media marketing techniques the surge in profits is impressive. Wal-Mart is the leader in social media marketing because they take the time to analyze data and use it to their advantage. They engage with customers by sharing corporate news and other important events. They consistently report pertinent sales promotions to their loyal followers.

Wal-Mart customers click, tweet, and favorite like crazy and encourage their friends to do the same. By promoting special deals via Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels, they reach a vast receptive audience.  Their loyal audience then shares the “insider” promotional message with their follower network, which results in record-breaking profits.

By using OnFast.com you too can use these methods to promote your business, and as an added benefit you can create your own coupons. Try it for 30 days free at OnFast.com

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Pew: Number of social media users age 65 triples

In its first incarnation, Facebook was a realm inhabited by youngsters - college students to be more precise. But, since flinging open the doors to all who cared to enter, the social network and, indeed, many other social media sites, have been increasingly adopted by older adults, as recent research from the Pew Research Center has shown.

Click Here to read BizReport Article

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Social Media News For The Week Of 8/9/13

Mobile Payments, Social Media a Boon for Small Businesses

Small to medium sized businesses (SMBs)are tapping into business generating possibilities of mobile technology and social media in growing numbers, according to a study called the Local Commerce Monitor. The ongoing research is conducted by the firm BIA/Kelsey. New figures released show that 40 percent of SMBs are now using mobile credit card readers to take payments at the point of sale. A further 16 percent intend to add the capability during the course of the next year. The report went on to state that 72 percent of SMBs are using social media marketing with 52 percent having a Facebook page and 25 percent with a Google+ Local page. Full Story Here:


43% of Seniors Now Use Social Media, Pew Study Finds

Seniors increasingly embracing social media, according to a Pew Internet study. Pew’s research found that 43 percent of people over 65 years of age are using at least one social network. Among seniors Facebook is the network of choice, with its features that are more geared toward family interaction. This study has significant implications for marketers since research by Georgia State University has indicated that 75 percent of America’s wealth is controlled by people over the age of 55. Full Story Here:


What Five Guys and Chipotle Can Teach Your Business About Social Media

Now beginning to open restaurants overseas, after rapidly expanding across the U.S., Five Guys and Chipotle are examples of restaurants that successfully used marketing techniques outside the box of traditional advertising. Social media has played a primary role for both companies in their marketing strategies and they are role models for other companies to follow. Full Story Here:


LinkedIn App Lets You Apply for Jobs From Your Phone or Tablet

LinkedIn has taken notice of the fact that one-third of their job seeking members are searching for work via their mobile devices. In response, LinkedIn announced the launch of an addition feature of their mobile app which enables users to apply for jobs directly from their mobile devices. This rollout follows a series of significant improvements to the user experience made by LinkedIn to their iOS and Android apps. Full Story Here:

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What is a keyword?

A keyword is any word or short phrase that describes a website topic, product or service. The more a keyword is used by searchers, bloggers, and websites the more attraction power it has. If you want to appeal to web searchers you need to use strong industry keywords in your blog posts and website titles and text.

If you are not sure which keywords to use try using the keyword indicator in Onfast.com. Click here for a 30-day free trial.

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Social Media News For The Week Of 8/2/13

What Big Social Media Mistakes do Businesses Make?

Businesses that do not understand social media and how it is best leveraged usually make one of these mistakes. Some do not see the value of social networks and of having a presence on medium for their company. They see social media as a passing fad that will eventually go away, just like many naysayers did at one time about the worldwide web. Other companies think the key to social media success is found in the need to be on every new and exciting platform, while forgetting that true engagement and empathy with their audience will lead to a real connection with them. Full Story Here:


Small Businesses Underutilizing Social Media

Social media is still being underutilized by business, according to the results of a new survey just released. The study conducted by Newtek Business Services, NASDAQ: NEWT, and The Small Business Authority found that 57 percent of the independent businesses surveyed have a Twitter or Facebook account. This is up ten percent from last year, but still leaves nearly half of small businesses without a presence on these social platforms. Full Story Here:


The Perils of Being a Social Media Holdout

Whether a company is on social media or not, their business is being talked about on social networks. This is going on without their participation or interaction, like it or not. This allows a brand’s reputation to be completely defined by others on the medium. Businesses without a social media presence appear to have less credibility, while appearing to be backward in a world of forward-thinkers. Full Story Here:


5 Reasons Why Your Business Shouldn’t Be On Social Media

Many businesses feel they need to be on social media just because everyone else is there. This is a bad reason for a brand to dive into social networking. If a company sets  up accounts and then plans to do nothing with them by not updating or utilizing the platforms properly, then it would be better to stay off social altogether. Lack of interaction and engagement on social media by not answering comments or questions spells the death of any social media campaign. Full Story Here:

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Don't let the big one get away!

If you are looking for new customers Facebook is an excellent place to go fishing. It makes sense to fish where the fish are.  With over a billion users Facebook is a big pond.

As any productive fisherman knows you want to use a good lure to attract opportunities.  When it comes to social media trawling there are two excellent choices to attract customers: Coupons and Contests.

 

Coupons

Coupons are a proven tool to attract customers. Why not offer discount coupons or free gifts with a purchase?  Coupon promotions will not only get your customers to like you, but they will probably stay your Facebook fans in hopes of finding more future promotions. Most important, you will get them in your establishment or onto your website.

 

Contests

Contests are fun, and this could be a good way to target your customer base.  Get prospects engaged and trawl this opportunity.  Winners will create a feeding frenzy and increase interest in your site.

Want to get started? There is one place to go that makes the coupon and contest navigation process easy. OnFast.com offers a free 30-day trial. Try the coupon and contest functions for yourself without any obligation.

Written and produced in beautiful Naples, Florida by OnFast.com. 

 

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