Tips to Build an Engaged User Community

social media followingIt is difficult, if almost impossible, to get around social media. It’s everywhere. Since most businesses have to use it in some form or another, following are a few tips to get started.

Websites, blogs and social media begs for loyal fans and engaged users, but getting it is not easy. Here are some tips to grow your fan base:

Be authentic and positive
Ensure that your commenters and posters are “saying something nice” and avoid the snarky ones. Include a disclaimer that lets users know that comments that are disrespectful will be removed.

Balance usefulness and fun
Make your social media page useful to users but also fun to use. If they’re enjoying your content, they’ll not only come back, they’ll leave more comments, “likes” and posts. If it’s useful but not fun, they won’t return.

Stick with your demographic
Don’t try to appeal to everyone—you’ll wind up alienating your core target market. Make it a place where your community feels at home, from the language you use to the photos you post.

Communicate your value proposition
Let your users know why they should come back. There has to be something of value for them to do so.

Don’t ask users to spam their friends
Asking them to import their Facebook friends no longer works. People are tired of it and don’t want to do your marketing.

If you’re new to the social media game, these easy steps should help. If you have questions or need assistance, please give us a call.

What Constitutes Content Marketing?

content marketingWhile nearly 60 percent of businesses use at least one form of content marketing, many do not understand exactly what that can include—and its possibilities. Avenues to reach your audience grow at a rapid pace. New social media platforms are debuting almost daily. But apart from social media, content marketing includes other ways for businesses to reach out.

Content marketing is a part of a marketing strategy but can be defined more precisely as existing outside of marketing collateral, such as websites and brochures.

Here’s what it can include:

  • email marketing campaigns and newsletters
  • company blogs, which may include guest posts
  • books
  • slide presentations (Powerpoint, Google docs, Mac Keynote)
  • podcasts
  • video and micro-video (Vine)
  • social media: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google+, Instagram, Reddit, Pinterest, to name just a few
  • webinars
  • live presentations
  • white papers

Is your business using any of the above? You don’t have to use everything listed, however a good marketing plan will pinpoint which ones will work best for you to reach out and build your audience.

If you’re not sure what will work for your company, reach out to us. We’re here to “make you more visible.”

Tips for Creating an Effective Blog Editorial Calendar

blog calendarI often hear moans and groans when I ask clients about blogging or creating an enewsletter (I’m sure someone has heard mine too). I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be stressful.

As the former Editor-In-Chief of Kaleidoscope Magazine, I know the value of an editorial calendar.

Establishing a calendar for a company or personal blog will improve your content and relieve the stress associated with meeting deadlines. Scheduling the topics in advance will help with efficiency and guarantee that you reach your audience and marketing goals. Continue reading Tips for Creating an Effective Blog Editorial Calendar

Why Sharing Blogs Correctly is a Good Idea

If you have a business, one of the best free marketing resources you can use is a blog. If your website does not include blogging capabilities, you should consider it. Most people use social media to share blogs written about other businesses, products and services. Sharing your blogs on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and other social media platforms are great. It’s never a bad idea to share. That’s what we learned in pre-school, right? However, this will drive web traffic to those companies, not yours.

By setting up your blog and sharing your content – you will drive traffic to your website. There are five key reasons why this is a good idea. You can…

  • acquire new customers
  • drive more traffic to your website
  • build quality relationships with your customers
  • provide a way to interact with customers and followers through comment boxes
  • build trust by providing quality and reliable content worth sharing

The more you blog and share, the more traffic you will start to receive. If you have good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) built inside your website and/or blog, you will probably see even more traffic.

Your blog should focus around your business, products, services and most importantly …. your expertise on the subject matter. Write your blog like you own it and write from personal experiences. People like “stories,” so incorporating stories into your blogs that mix with your business will also be very helpful.

Lastly, don’t overdo it! Keep it short, sweet and informative. There is no need to write a blog a day. Your plate is full, so three per week is fine. Schedule your blogs to go out at varying times of the day and different days of the week. Remember… your audience is all over the world… and in different time zones. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to share.

Happy Blogging!

Double for Your Trouble – 5 Easy Steps To Get More from Your Blogs

There’s so much more to the Internet than even five or six years ago. Many new businesses, websites, bloggers, news feeds…not to mention the popularity of social networking like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

There is a lot to absorb. Many people are not reading everything they receive in their email. They aren’t visiting all the great websites and blogs. It’s too overwhelming.

Think of your newsletter as mini websites. Businesses created hard copy versions and mailed them. Then came the electronic versions via email (e-newsletters). People are now blogging the information – writing and sharing via social media tools.

If you are a blogger try these five easy steps for getting two for one…:

  1. Why do the work twice? Create an e-newsletter out of the blogs you’ve written the previous month.
  2. If you have upcoming events, add in a calendar.
  3. Include an RSS feed to your blogs.
  4. Include links to your social media pages and links to past newsletters.
  5. Include photos from the previous month, and a list of upcoming topics on this month’s blog.

Get double for your trouble. The information shared is always valuable. Just because the blog was written, doesn’t mean it was read. Create an e-newsletter and get it back out there in a different way.