Welcome to the last week of our series, Social Media Mondays! We hope you’ve enjoyed the series and learnt a lot about how to use social media as a valuable marketing tool for your business.

To end our series, we thought it would be beneficial to discuss the use of hashtags. We see them being used all the time, you probably use them often yourself, but do you know how to use them effectively for your business?

Hashtags are used as a means to organize keywords and make them easier for users to search these keywords. Most networks and SM platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and so forth support the use of hashtags. However, each network has a unique tweak on how to use them. For example, hashtags are great on Instagram to see photos that are similar the ones you’ve taken. Hashtag your photo and then search that tag to see similar photos. On the other hand, networks such as Twitter use hashtags as a way to support and search trending topics.

Creating your own hashtag can be a very powerful tool for your business. If it is done correctly, you can easily trend within your circle of followers and if you’re really good, you will trend above and beyond.  Hashtags are not only a means to get noticed and found among SM platforms and networks but it is a way to instill solid brand awareness as well. Everytime someone sees your hashtag, they are reminded of your brand.

In order to use hashtags for your business, you need to understand how each SM platform supports them and then tag accordingly. There is a lot to learn when it comes to the art of using them properly but here are a few simple tips!

1) Don’t spam your feed.

Make sure that the hashtags you are using are relevant and on point. Don’t over tag a single post.

2) Don’t string too many words together.

Remember, the whole purpose of using hashtags are to help followers search for your post/page. Keep them simple, clean and searchable.

3) Go public.

If you’re SM accounts aren’t public or if they are restricted, people will not be able to find your hashtag when they perform a search. Make sure to adjust your privacy settings.

Since hashtags are now integrated and supported by almost every SM platform and network, it is time to #getonboard.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this series! There is definitely a lot to learn when it comes to using social media for your business. The good news, we are here to help! With our viral branding, web-based marketing and social media management packages, we have all the tools you need to effectively use SM to grow your business!

Contact us today for a free consultation.

Week 3 of Social Media Mondays! Hope you are enjoying the series thus far!

We often think of social media as a means to share something with the world, as a way to advertise and promote. In business however, social media can be a very valuable market research tool. The art of effectively using SM platforms isn’t just to put information out there but to use it as a means to study and understand your target market. You can learn so much from social media, it is just a matter of knowing how to effectively retrieve and study the information that is out there and build a strategy accordingly.

Take the time to develop and execute a social media strategy. This will help you gain a good understanding of your market and in turn grow your business. If you understand your market and your target audience, you will be able to turn traffic into actual leads.

A great place to start is to study brands that you love that have a large social media following and a strong online presence. Look back at what they’ve done to grow and use that as inspiration for your own action plan. Invest in a professional social media strategy. Hiring a professional will not only help you with the market research, as they have the tools and resources to effectively study your business and your market; but they will develop an action plan that is unique and profitable for business.

Remember, social media will help you get more leads but valuable views are what you are really looking for. Investing in a professional social media strategy has endless possibilities for both development and growth.

Does your business need help with market research and strategy? We can help, contact us today to learn how!

Welcome to week two of Social Media Monday!

I get asked this all the time, how can I get more likes on Facebook?

I always start off by telling my clients that likes aren’t everything and that even if your page is “popular” in terms of likes, that doesn’t mean your actual customer base is engaged and growing. It is very important to understand the difference between likes and actual engagement and ensure your marketing plan encompasses both.

Increasing likes and your Facebook audience is never a bad idea so here are a few things you can do to help your page grow.

Share other people’s content.

Being engaged on Facebook doesn’t simply mean creating your own posts, being engaged also involves sharing and interacting with others. If you see something you like, share it.

Post often.

It is important to keep your page alive and active. Create a post schedule based on your target market and post accordingly. Include a variety of different types of posts to keep your audience captivated and craving more.

Make connections.

They don’t call it the World Wide Web for nothing, create your own Facebook web by connecting with others and liking and sharing each other’s content. If you come across a page that would compliment yours or if you notice someone shared your page, don’t be afraid to reach out and connect.

Solid content.

Studies have shown that quality over quantity wins hands down when it comes to posting on Facebook. Ensure your posts offer worth, variety and that they capture your market. Videos, quotes and infographics are just a few ways to switch it up.

Do you need helping creating a killer marketing plan? Contact us today! 

Welcome to Social Media Monday! Each Monday for the next 4 weeks, we will discuss different topics related to making the most out of your social media platforms.

If you are looking to increase traffic, attract your target market and obtain long term followers this is the series for you!

There are so many tips and tricks when it comes to the effective use of social media but one of the best things you can do is ensure you post smart.

Here are 4 tips to ensure you are post savvy:

1) Include an image with every post.

This applies to all SM platforms. Including an image with your post will not only increase views but will increase shares/retweets by 150%. An image will captivate your audience and will make them stop and look. Studies have shown that posts with images receive 18% more clicks than those without.

2) Repeat your shares.

Often people think that each post needs to be brand new, big mistake. Don’t be afraid to share content more than once. Your followers are bombarded with information all day long on their feeds and often posts get missed. Switch it up and share again. You can increase views by 75% when you share something more than once.

3) Hit multiple time zones.

Make sure you have a good understanding of your target market and you know when your potential clients are checking their newsfeeds. This may mean taking several different time zones into consideration.

4) Be real.

As much as “fluff” posts will get you some hits, long term relationships are built when trust is established. Just because someone is visiting your page and liking your beautifully staged photo, it doesn’t mean they are actually considering hiring you or purchasing your product. Show some transparency; give insight on how your business operates and the mechanics behind the pretty pictures. Establishing this deeper connection is what you need to stand out and grab your market.