Hey Everyone
I have decided to take my own advice and take a break from blogging for a while. As I explain in my article More Blogging about Blogging (see link below) sometimes a break can be beneficial.
I wish to spend more time on my fictional writing and take a break from the content monster. I hope to be back at some point in the not too distant future. Thank you all for your support.
Article: https://socialmeadiajourney.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/more-blogging-about-blogging/
Hi all
Today we are delving brief in the world of Marketing, more specific were going to be exploring different types of online marketing. Social media marketing is not content marketing and content marketing is not search engine optimisation. Simply put there is more than one way to market a business online. They are each unique. Techniques that come with their own methods and purposes. So let’s discuss these three different practices.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is the art of conversing for networking purposes, meaning this is how the customers speak to the business and visa versus. The platforms become a sort of stage for the companies with the followers as their audience. While each platform has its different uses which marketers should take advantage of, the main purpose is to communicate.
Communication between business and customer is vital for a number of reasons to providing feedback or just strength an existing relationship. These business relationships so important so Social Media Marketing has become a crucial cornerstone in any marketing strategy.
Content Marketing
This is a strategy to entertain and inform. It’s all about creating brand awareness to your target audience. Brands can’t scream sales pitch at its audience. So content marketing is a better way to deliver a brands’ message instead of sales person and customer the become reader and informer. Content is a piece that provides value on its own to both business and customer.
This way of educating people about a business is taking online marketing by a storm with content being produced on mass. So while content marketing is crucial it’s also crucial that the content is affecting in providing readers with interesting and accurate information.
Search Engine Optimisation
S.E.O is the process of tailoring content and websites so that it will receive more website traffic. Search engine rank websites based on keywords. So to improve the ranking businesses use specific keywords to generate a higher ranking.
This final component makes business more noticeable. Search engines are vastly used by people looking for something specific so they must be able to provide relevant results. So, therefore, businesses must make their online presence as efficient as possible so they can be sorted and ranked into the right results.
Overall the world of social media has given us the ability to consume more content than ever and in more different forms. The important thing is that they should go hand in hand. There is not one right practice there are multiple ones. In conclusion, while they are separate forms of marketing they should work together to build up the business and the brand.
sources:
The Difference Between Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing and SEO
http://digitalbrandinginstitute.com/the-5-cs-of-content-creation-for-your-brand/
Setting Goals & Tracking Progress: Identifying Success in Social Media Marketing
Hi Everyone
Call to actions (CTA) are a simple way to drive readers into deeper engagement with your brand. They can be images or buttons that are digitally linked to social media sites or websites. They are the most effective way to get followers to share content and explore more about your business. Today we’re just going chat a little about the different types of call to actions and how to make them effective.
Explanations and Examples
Call to action is a social media term for getting a customer to follow through with a certain desired action. It misses conception, however, to assume that CTA can only be your typical share this buttons as displayed below.
A call to action can come in many different forms since Social media managers can request a number of different actions from their followers. Whether you asking some to read an article, sign up for a newsletter, share a piece of content or enter a contest; these are all actions which you are trying to get your customers to follow through with.
So with this in mind, it’s quite clear that buttons are not the only way of presenting a CTA. You could choose to put your CTA in the form of an Image such as below where a company has used an image to encourage customers to enter their giveaway competition.
They can even be in text format which is a type of CTA I’m very familiar with as I use them on my Facebook fan pages to gain votes in the monthly competition I run. Again an example of this CTA is below.
So now we have established that a call to action consists of just that any kind of content that asks followers to perform a certain task, we must give some thought as to makes an effective call to action.
How to create effective CTA
Just because you ask your followers to completely a certain action doesn’t mean that they will. So it’s important when creating your CTA’s that you give careful consideration to trying to make them effective.
It’s important that they are kept visible, simple and to the point. Give consideration to colour, position, and shape. However, the vital component is that you the followers why they would gain something from following through with the action not what you would gain. Social media marketing can not simply be about selling one’s self, there must be gains for the customers too otherwise why should they follow you. This aim must be present in every piece of content even CTA’s. Sometimes
Sometimes a customer’s gain through following a certain action can be obvious such as in the case of giveaways or competitions but Sometimes it can be less so. What does some gain from sharing your article for example? In this adding the phrase share this with your friends might show readers that while you are giving them more exposure you could also be providing others with information they might find valuable.
All in all making your CTA visible and attractive are not the only points worth considering when you are asking your followers to complete the desired action.
Call to actions may seem a simple request to the surface but essential you are asking your customers for a favour so thought put in behind the asking. In Conclusion, CTAs are an important part of engagement between followers and business and as such all pages should invest in them but not without planning. So as a final thought if you have enjoyed reading this piece please share it with your social circle or see my homepage for more articles like this.
Sources:
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/great-call-to-action-examples#sm.0011g4yaylbjfi710141y2xoi0lnx
https://econsultancy.com/blog/66755-10-brilliant-examples-of-calls-to-action/
https://blog.crazyegg.com/2013/07/24/call-to-action-examples/
Hi all
Business marketing can be a tricky business. No one could argue that the point of any business is to sale it’s product but what about selling its self. Some might say that there is no difference between marketing and sales, while others would say the difference is obvious. It is clear however that the two go hand in hand and there should be a strong connection between both but it is important not to confuse them.
Sales is the processes of reaching out to your targeted audience and nurturing their interest until they eventually purchase your product. Where as marketing can have a range of purposes which is what we are going to be over-viewing today. We will focus on creating brand recognition, building a positive image, providing general knowledge about your business and create interest in your audience, which are some of the main functions of business marketing.
Creating Brand Recognition
Branding involves creating a unique and recognizable identity for a company and its product in the consumers minds. It is a sort of theme that is carried through product imagery and advertising. This is all done with the aim of establish, a significant online presence which both attract new customers and retains loyal ones.
Building a Positive Image
While this is closely link to a companies brand this is not the same thing. You need to show customers your business that can’t be trusted and that has a good repetition. Whether your display star rates or have a comment allow yours to show there appreciation for a job well done helps others to see that you are business worth using.
Providing General Knowledge
Part of any marketing strategy that is designed to get customers to trust a business has be allowing people to get to know that business. History of a business or it’s back story can be very important. People like behind the scene knowledge and to know these faces of those involve in the running of the business since it makes the company more tangible and human.
Creating an interest in the Business
This brings us back to the discussion at the beginning. While marketing must provide information that is of interest or value to that customer and not just throw sales pitches at them. Sales and marketing are forever joined. Part of marketing must be to interest the customer in the product that the business is selling. It very similar to being on a tight rope because the line between marketing and sales is so fine and if you do the wrong thing there is often no net to catch you. But the trick is to see it has a helping partnership the right kind of marketing leads to stronger sales.
Business Marketing has many facets and is a length process. I hope this very brief overview has helped to define what we mean by marketing and made the processes of this practice much clearer. However it would while you certainly can do the wrong thing in marketing I think the biggest mistake you can make is to not market your self, your business and your product.
Sources:
Online Marketing: Don’t Just Do The Right Things – Do Them Right
The Devil in the Marketing Details – Do One Thing Right Before You Try Another
http://digitalbrandinginstitute.com/8-tips-for-great-marketing-content/
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2016/07/content-marketing-best-brands/
Hey Everyone
In this age of social media marketing, it can be tough to keep on top of your social platforms and channels. So both big businesses and small are now hiring people to fill this role and paying them substantially to socially network all day long. Social media Managers (S.M.M) do exactly what it says on the tin they manage a business’s online presence and help promote their brand. This article is just going to take a quick look into the in’s and out’s of being a Social Media Manager, from their day to day duties to the requirements you need to actually finding that all important job.
What do S.M.M do
Social Media Managers have a wide variety of tasks include account setup, account management, account audit, produce content and form social media business strategy.
Account set up simple entails creating their platform and website profiles or keep them updated if they are already in existence. Account management is the day to day posting or tweeting and audit the accounts is all reviewing sites stats and implementing any necessary changes. Produce on the surface is pretty self-explanatory but there is a lot of work that goes into to each piece of content, such as researching and writing articles, which all has to be taken care of by this manager. Finally, all these processes need to be set a planned strategy with goals and direction that improves that business; which the manager must be equipt to provide.
What do you need to become an S.M.M
To provide all these services listed above takes a certain amount of skills and knowledge. You need to keep up with the latest trends by reading books and blogs around social media and related topics. It’s important to take courses on the latest trends such as live streaming or marketing strategies. Invest in tools such as Analytics, Adwords, and Grammarly (for details on those apps see the links to my previous articles at the bottom of the page) to improve your technique.
A manager should never stop working on self-improvement no matter how many jobs they have because the world of social media never stops evolving so can’t either. So it’s important to keep reading and learning throughout your career.
Finding a work as an S.S.M
While it’s true that a lot of companies are hiring people, it’s also true that a lot of people are looking for these kinds of jobs. The competition for social media managing positions is high, so it’s not the sort of job you can just walk into. You have to hit the ground running and prove your worth before you can think about applying. So set a web personality with social media profiles and professional websites and create content in spades. Show that you can do the work before you are starting to apply for jobs. Also, it will give you a lot to talk about interviews.
In conclusion, managing social media is all about showing you can manage social media it’s won’t happen overnight but through experience so be prepare to put in the work. My final is also to put the social in social media. Showing you have people skills as well as computer skill will go a long way.
Sources:
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/why-community-managers-should-start-freelancing-asap
Previous articles:
Hey Everyone
Content Marketing has become one of the most popular strategies of self-promotion in today’s world of online marketing. Almost everyone is getting in on this great method to reach out to customers. Just one way that content marketing can be so effective is that when you produce good quality content people share that content widening your business reach and hopefully bring in more customers.
This is the internets version of good word of mouth instead of neighbour recommending a good plumber or bakery. Today we have people liking or following businesses that they use and sharing that with their social circle via their social media platforms. So all business should be working to get their customers to share their content but there are some people in a customer base that can be more useful than others. Either because they have a significant social following that is very loyal or because of some indirect just useful connection to your field that could bring in a lot of relevant business. These people are referred as influencers since they influence potential customers your way.
An example of an influence might be a reader who runs a blog that contains book reviews could be very useful to a bookstore since if they post a positive review of that bookstore on their blog then that would be seen by all their followers some of who may choose to visit that bookstore. Or different example might be a charity that supports wildlife might choose to advertise a new nature reserve that opening influencing people who care about animals to visit that new attraction.
Whatever your customer base maybe there will be people inside who carry a lot of weight and could, therefore, be beneficial to your brand. So as a marketer there are certain things you need to be doing to in order to make your social sites attractable to these potential influencers.
Make a good first Impression
There are so many social sites these days that standing out online can be difficult but it is important that your site makes a good impression on first-time visitors. Your pages need to be clear and concise with an obvious brand message. These platforms are how you present your business to the outside world so they need to be as polished as possible so that people and more importantly potential influencers not only understand what your business is about but can also become familiar with it.
Content promotion
You need to be putting your content out there for people to find. If your followers can’t find your content then they can share or talk about it. So all marketers should have a plan on how they want to use their social sites to share their content. It’s also worth paying close attention to what content does better on what sites that way you can maximise your customer’s engagement with that content.
Make Connections
It’s also important that once you have identified those influential people who are sharing your content that you reach out them and form a connection. Building a relationship with these types of people only strengths that good impression of your business. Also since you want them to keep saying good things about your business it gives you a chance to offer them exclusive access to new content or other perks that might help to keep that relationship going.
These are just a couple of ways in which a page can reach out to influential people within their customer base and business market but even such simple methods as these are not be underestimated. It’s human nature to trust other people’s opinion more than people who work for that business because an individual with a stake in the business will natural only say good things about that business. Which is why so many platforms have feedback options because the opinion the masses is valued. So it is well worth in addition to reaching to these few who the community hold in high regard, to add a feedback section to your sites. Even if it’s just a simple star rating little touches like this matter to customers. Keeping your customers feeling positive is vital because it’s the happy customers who will hit that all important share button.
Sources:
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/4-powerful-social-media-outreach-tactics
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/281106
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2016/08/secrets-award-winning-content/
Hi all
As of today, I have been writing this blog for a whole year!
I want to thank you all for supporting me on this journey and I hope you will continue to do so.
I feel like I have learned a lot but there are still leagues to go so I can promise there will be more to come
Hi all
Social media sites are all about encouraging a dialogue between businesses and their customers. Unfortunately, that dialogue can sometimes be unpleasant or negative. Whether it’s someone with a genuine complaint or someone purposely looking to be offensive; businesses need to be not only prepared to receive this type of interaction but also to know how to respond appropriately. So here are some steps to follow when things turn negative.
Be quick to Acknowledge
Sometimes this negativity can steam from a feeling of not being heard, so it’s important to show that you are willing to listen. Whether the complaint is actual one or looks more like someone with an axe to grind it’s important to acknowledge the comment quickly and professionally. You don’t have to have a quick fix or even an instant solution at hand, just saying that the query will be looked into is a good start. However, it’s important to mean what you say and create some credibility.
Take the Comments on Board
Criticism is how we learn. It’s important to see things from the customer’s point of view. They just want someone to care about their issues not cause them. So don’t list excuses as to why mistakes were made as it will just irritate them further, which is not good diplomacy. Instead really take the complaint on board and try the best to learn from the process and improve your business as a result.
Take it out of the Spotlight
Social forums may not be the best place to air dirty laundry so if the customer is receptive take the conversation to a more appropriate forum. Also, it’s important to show you are taking the complaint seriously. Don’t just forward them to a complaint call centre that just seems like your trying to get rid of them. Instead, try emailing them directly or set up an instant message chat if possible. You can even give them your work number to call if you feel confident in that course. The Important factor is that you give the customer a better place to communicate with you more directly so that you can better understand their concerns.
Accept the blame
Take responsibility for your mistakes even if you don’t feel that it is your mistake and it’s important to actually say the word sorry. Customers need to know that you are willing to accept the blame so that your professional relationship can move past the small screw-up and become stronger for it. Of course, that apology must fit the situation but still saying the words and trying to right the wrong is the best way to make your customers happy.
Don’t feed the troll
A troll is someone who deliberately goes out of their way to cause trouble on social sites through posting inflammatory messages online. Though it can be difficult to spot the difference between a genuine frustrated customer with an actual complaint and someone just stirring up trouble it is important to try identify these individuals. Of course, airing on the side of caution is important so if you aren’t certain whether a comment is genuine then it’s best to treat it as a real complaint. However, if you do have a follower grandstanding and being offensive then be professional and don’t engage with them since attention is just what they are hoping for. In extremes, for example, if someone is flooding your page with abuse, then you should delete them comments and block the person but be careful with this action.
Most interactions on social sites are positive and promote the customer business relationship but all marketers need to be prepared to deal with unhappy customers. So I that this article helps you feel better prepared for when things turn negative.
Sources:
5 Ways Brands Respond to Negative Social Media Comments (Hint: Only One is Effective)
Hi all
Blogging is a constant content machine but at times that machine can seem like a monster. Either we writers have so many ideas that they burst from us and it’s a struggle to get them all down then translate them into good quality articles or writer’s block becomes our worse enemy as we scramble to turn crumbs of thought into some idea, any idea at all. Today I want to talk about some ways in which bloggers can get their creative juices following in order to produce more content.
Reading other material
Bloggers read blogs. we all have our special few favourites that we enjoy reading for whatever reason and return to over and over. This can be a great source of inspiration since good engaging writing should make you think intelligently. Maybe they write a particular topic that interest you; maybe there is something that everyone is writing about or just maybe you have two blogs sharing opposing views. The point is there content should be making you think about your content.
Also with popular blog’s it’s worth thinking about why they, in particular, have captured your attention. Is there some key element that hooked you to their in that you could re-work in your blog. All in all, bloggers should be reading and learning from one other to produce better blogs as a whole.
Anticipating your readers
Part of the purpose of any blog is that exists to be read. So all bloggers should be paying attention to what their readers want to hear more about. A great way to do this is through social media. See what topics are trending through join linked-In groups and watch out for popular Hashtags all to gain a flavour of what your readers want then try to write something that fits that need.
Another way to find out what your readers want to read is through your own post. Posts that were popular show where the reader’s interest lies. So use that; take a look at your analytics and blog stats to see whether you can expand more on posts or topics that got a lot of engagement from your followers.
Learning and research
Attending to readers interests is important but your interests are equally important. if you are passionate about a subject it shows in your writing so it’s important that you write what you want to write. This may sound simple on the surface but sometimes as a writer, it’s one hell of a daunting question.
So some ways to work on that can be taking 5 minutes to sit quietly and just let your thoughts out. no editing just you and a notebook. Then later you can go back to those ideas and try to build on them. You could track new developments or news and see if there is a spark to work on in that department. Finally, writing can be about learning maybe there is a topic you want to know more about so take some time, do some research and see what you can find out.
The thing to remember is to explore topics that inspire both you and your audience since it is much simpler to come up with ideas for new content when you are inspired.
In Conclusion, there are many ways to brainstorm new content ideas but I think the most important piece of advice I could give you is not to let the content monster trap you into producing bad content for content’s sake. This can be very damaging to a blog. So while it is vital to try and produce content regularly sometimes it’s better just to take a step back and evaluate things in order to keep your blog at a good quality standard rather than the alternative.
sources:
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blog-post-topic-brainstorm-ht#sm.0011g4yaylbjfi710141y2xoi0lnx
7 Ways To Come Up With SUPER AWESOME Blogposts From The Blogging Community
4 Resources to Help You Brainstorm Ideas for Your Next Blog Post
Hi everyone
Google AdWords is advertising app for businesses. It is one of the most widely used and effective ways of advertising on a worldwide platform. Google Adwords helps businesses to grow their reach by becoming more visible to potential customers. In this article; I will provide a brief explanation of how the app works, some of the benefits of using Google Adwords and a couple of top tips to remember.
How to use
You can use AdWords to create ads that target users across two main networks; search networks and display networks. The search network refers to Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC ads) in which advertisers bid on keywords that are relevant to their business and have a chance to show their adverts to users who enter those keywords. For example, a florist might bid on words such as bouquet, roses or arrangements. So that when someone types these words in Google there website appears.
The display network offers advertisers the option of placing a visual banner-style advertisement on websites that are part of the Google display network. For example, a bar that is hosting an open mic night might place a banner ad on music site that Google has access to.
Benefits
When people want to find something online they tend to either visit a site they know provides that product or they type what they are looking for into a search engine. Which is why businesses should be using Google AdWords because it can be beneficial on two fronts. either by allowing business to place ads on other sites where shoppers might frequent or by buying up keywords related to your business so that you appear in the search results.
Top tips
When using Google AdWords there are some simple tips that you can use to improve the quality your business ads and therefore their success:
In Conclusion, I hope this brief explanation helps you to understand how Google AdWords can improve people’s ability to discover your website and thereby increase your business reach and customer base. All this app is a must-have marketing tool.
Sources: http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/google-adwords-ppc#sm.0011g4yaylbjfi710141y2xoi0lnx
http://www.wordstream.com/how-to-use-google-adwords
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242028
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/9-adwords-tips-get-perfect-roi-smile
socialmeadiajourney 