Success On .Social

Tag: Social Media

  • Video Talk: Incorporating Video Content Into Your Social Media Strategy

    Why Video Content?

    For years people have been saying the next big trend on social media is video. More video content. Get in ahead of the curve and start producing video content now! What was the next trend has already arrived. It is time to start engaging our followers with video content or be left behind.

    We created our June Video Content Challenge to help all of us jump-start our video content game.  It’s also a great way we can help each other as we take a 30 day (or more) adventure through the land of video. We even created our first social media video in quite some time to talk about it!JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI1NjAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIzMTUlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGLWlBdzl5OV80Wm8lMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvdyUzRCUyMmFjY2VsZXJvbWV0ZXIlM0IlMjBhdXRvcGxheSUzQiUyMGVuY3J5cHRlZC1tZWRpYSUzQiUyMGd5cm9zY29wZSUzQiUyMHBpY3R1cmUtaW4tcGljdHVyZSUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==

    The Numbers Say It All

    85% of US Internet users watch video content on their device monthly.

    Videos are the consumers favorite type of content to see from a brand they follow.

    Videos engage people for a longer amount of time, meaning they stay on your post/site longer.

    Video is 95% more captivating than other types of content.

    54% of consumers want to see more video content on social media.

    With numbers like this, it is hard to deny the need for businesses, bloggers, influencers and more to start engaging followers using video. So how do you even start? Buy an expensive camera? Hire a video production team? Maybe, the first step should be deciding on a content-based strategy. One that allows you to plan out what value video could add to some of the content you are already posting.

    If you are a JRH Graphics client, I would recommend that your first step is to review the 9 Essential Posts for Businesses on Social Media and look to see what types of posts we are already doing could be enhanced by adding a video component. If you want a  free copy of the 9 Essential Posts, just click here and provide your email!

    Let’s Start Creating Video Content

    First, its time to jump right into making videos. We all need to move past the excuses (I don’t like the way I look on video, I don’t like the way I sound on video, I don’t know what to say about my business on video). You can choose to make excuses or you can choose to grow your business! Videos are simply a tool you now must use to grow your business.

    Secondly, start videotaping everything you do! Meetings, presentations, group discussions, if you think you may potentially discuss a topic that would make great content on social media then ask the other parties if its okay to tape the meeting with the camera focused on you. You can later edit it down and use it for important sound bytes or video clips as needed. How many times have you regretted not capturing something on video? Taping everything will prevent that regret.

    9 Ways to Create Brand Appropriate Video Content

    1. Go Live

    You represent your brand and your business every day in Live interactions with customers, over the phone and on social media. You absolutely should know your business and brand well enough to “go live” once a week. It’s an opportunity to interact with your users in some way on a topic that matters to both parties. Provide value to your customers with these live videos by helping them solve a problem or answering a question. When you are feeling good about your ability to go live, look at other opportunities like going live at an event, using the event hashtag to cross promote your business by providing added value to the discussion.

    Live videos are great for announcements about your business, behind the scenes looks at your company and mini product tutorials.  Whenever possible try to go live regularly, at the same time each week and promote/provide the topic discussed in advance. This will get your viewers in the habit of looking for your live videos at a specific time. The best part about Live videos is it is okay for them to be a bit rough around the edges, so this is truly a great place to start!

    2. Create Video Content That Answers Questions Your Followers Have

    Do your fans and followers ask you questions about your products or services? Are you answering the same question numerous times? It is time to create videos that answer these questions. You are automatically filling a need. Your followers need answers to help them understand your product and brand. And you are investing in the success and training of those using your product/service.

    If you don’t think your followers have questions, ask them! I recommend going onto Instagram stories and using the questions feature. Ask them about challenges they face daily. How do they use your product and service? What do they wish your service provided? I bet you will be able to create at least 5 videos that answer a question for your customers just from a single Instagram survey.

    3. Tutorials or Product/Service Informational Videos

    Do you have a product or service that you regularly need to provide one on one training for? Or maybe a service you offer solves a variety of problems for the person using it but many people don’t recognize the hidden benefits. Doesn’t that smell like a great opportunity to create some video content that is useful for your followers and has the potential to streamline your business?

    The key to these types of videos is to make sure they are not too long and technical and they aren’t dry and boring. Enfuse your videos with energy and some excitement. Quirky is a great way to create interest. You want your videos to engage followers as well as provide useful information.

    Say you have a service that has 5 hidden benefits other than the intended use. It is better to create 5 or 6 separate, quick paced and fun videos for sharing on social media, even if you also create a separate video that includes all 5 benefits so you that to provide as a teaching tool to those using the service.

    4. Create Some Behind the Scenes Videos

    Everybody loves to get a special peek to see what is behind the curtain. In my personal experience, this is the best performing type of video content. We are all a bit curious about what brands are like behind the polished facade. The key with this type of video is to allow some personality to show thru and to be a bit more casual than in other videos. However, it is important that you remember you are representing your brand and you should do so according to your standards. Some great uses of Behind the Scenes Video content include product launches, special events, highlighting a collaboration with another company, or even a day off with the boss! Just make sure the video is short, entertaining, and adds some value (like actually showing some behind the scenes stuff)!

    5. Customer Service and Customer Feature Videos

    Do you have regular customers that come in weekly? A customer who uses your venue or service in a unique way? Why not take a 60-second video to feature them (with their permission of course)? One of the things that make your brand unique is the customers/clients you attract and this is a great thing to feature in a video.

    Tell the story of your customers. Show how you solve their problems. Highlight all these happy customers that love your business. Stories sell and the stories of your happy customers on video has an incredible power to help you build your brand. You can even ask customers to submit videos with their customer testimonials to be shared.

    6. User-Generated Video Content

    User-generated content is like when your best friend brings you dinner and wine because they knew you had an awful day. It is a gift from above and like winning the jackpot for several reasons 1) free content for you 2) expanded audience of the original poster 3) User-generated content connects to more people than brand generated content 4) free marketing.

    Specific Rules for User Generated Content

    So if you are lucky enough that a user creates a piece of video content that features your service or product this is a mega win. Watch the content closely and review the other content featured by this user before you blindly post. If the content aligns with your brand, messaging, and quality is up to standards and you wish to share it you must first ask permission from the user who created it. Also, ask if there is anyone you should give credit to when you post, and any hashtags that should be used. Do not use user-generated content and videos for promoted posts or advertisements. If you do they can legally ask for a portion of each sale that was generated from the use of the content they created.

    They Created Content for You for Free- Thank Them A Lot

    When you post the user-generated content make sure to thank and tag the creator in the caption and make sure you tag them in the photo/video as well. Be super nice to them and more user-generated content will follow. From them and others who saw that you shared the content and were super nice too!

    7. Create Employee Focused Video Content

    Do you have an employee recognition program? Or is one of your team members getting a well-deserved promotion? This is a great opportunity to create some employee focused video content that can highlight the unique culture of your business. As well as show off the accomplishments of your stellar employee. It’s a humble brag with a video component.

    You could also create a day in the life series and create video content around what the day in the life of one of your brand consultants is. Follow the employee as they complete the unique tasks throughout there very interesting day.

    Your employee is your greatest asset and has the potential to be an amazing storyteller and brand ambassador. Prep them well for the video but don’t overcoach them. Make sure they are aware of the expectations and the brand standards that must be represented but allow them some free reign in the creation of the video content. The business gets the final say in what is posted to the business account but you want the content to be a real team effort. If you picked the right employee to feature, have confidence that they will shine.

    As a side note- don’t plan to film these features on a normal day. To keep them exciting for your followers make sure to tape them on a busy day in the life kinda day.

    8. Brand Takeovers

    Uh oh, who just took over your Instagram page! Don’t call the IT Specialist in just yet! Remember, you handed over Instagram to Brand B Coffee because you have worked together many times and have a similar clientele that doesn’t always shop at both locations. But your baked goods and Brand B’s coffee are a perfect match! This also means that you have control of their Instagram for the day. Well, how fun is this! Hmmmm, now what is it that you are supposed to post again?

    Remember, this is a huge opportunity for each brand to introduce themselves to the other brands loyal followers and while the story and videos should remain somewhat unscripted you should have each reviewed an outline of what will be reviewed. Make sure you plan to touch on the features and benefits of each others brand and share your mutual admiration for what each does. It is important that you both talk about what your brand differentiators are, how you will be working together, and why your followers should take the time to visit both Baked Goods + Brand B Coffee.

    9. Create Some Quirky, Unique or Unusual Video Content

    Don’t forget that engagement is the name of the game and sometimes it takes a bit of outside the box thinking to come up with the perfect idea that will engage and become viral. It’s okay to think outside the box and create content that is outside of the box as long as it ties back to your business and brand in some way. The danger of creating videos that are too quirky is that they will remember the video but they will have no idea what the video was actually promoting or what company had paid for the ad. Great job creative, bad job branding and marketing.

    Are you ready for Video Now?

    We hope that the different types of videos we discussed in this post help you understand how you can create more video content within the structure of your content calendar simply by adding some video to the stories you are already telling because you are following your 9 Essential Posts for Every Business Worksheet. Start by going live and work your way into creating other video content. Video content in stories such as on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook can be a little rough around the edges, that is expected. However, video content in your feed should be more polished and professional.

    Keep in mind with all your video content that it should be short, concise and beneficial to the person watching. Break the videos down into easily digestible segments to increase retention.  Plan your videos in advance and make sure to follow an outline so you present a well-organized idea.

    Now get out and start making some videos, we can’t wait to see what you come up with.

    Join the JRH Graphics community for tips, tricks, and support with your business’s social media, branding, and storytelling needs.

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  • 2019 Social Media Stats and Best Practices

    2019 Social Media Stats and Best Practices

    We recently took a look at some of the top social media stats for 2019. We wanted to see what the numbers were telling us about the state of social media and social media marketing. From this, we decided on some key areas new businesses could focus on. To round it all out, we added in some best practices. If you are just starting to promote your business via social media, or want to revise your strategy… here is a good place to start!

    Before The Stats, Let’s Review Some Basics

    First, and foremost a basic that is often times forgotten. The goal of social media is not to sell. Your goal is to engage followers with content that fills a need. The 80/20 Rule is the Golden Rule of Social Media. It states that 80% of what you post should be informational, educational and entertaining. Only 20% should be promotional.

    Some additional guidelines include making sure that your company story is relatable. Only Posting Content that is Brand Appropriate, and being authentic and true to your brand. We even encourage you to be a little bit funny but remember humor can be tricky. Make sure you will not offend anyone and always be polite.

    Following these basic rules will ensure that you are creating and distributing quality content that adds value to your followers and your business. Now, let’s get on with the show…. errr one-minute mini video, read fast!

    Planning and Organization

    Reviewing the tips in that quick video, I am reminded of the importance of proper planning and scheduling. There is no other way to ensure a strong social media presence. Without planning you will not be able to ensure that your content fully aligns with your brand.  It will be impossible to be sure you are presenting posts that are cohesive across all platforms. Planning also allows you to schedule a well-rounded selection of posts that “Edutain” your followers. Are you looking for the best things to post about on Social Media as a Business? Take A Look at our 9 Essential Posts Blog and if you want you can even grab a Free Copy of Our 9 Essential Posts for Businesses Worksheet.

    We recommend creating a social media planning calendar and regularly updating it with key campaigns, events and other occurrences that will impact your business. Then organize your posts making sure that they are appropriate for the time of year. Review it regularly to ensure the content you are presenting is varied and adds value. Social media management software such as Hootsuite and HeyOrca (if you need approvals or are running multiple accounts) also have great tools that will help you plan, stay organized and post regularly to all your platforms.

    Numbers Don’t Lie

    Now, let’s dig into the numbers. They say numbers don’t lie. I have tried to prove this theory wrong, and while I have successfully gotten people to agree that numbers may not tell the full story we have to stop short of saying they lie. What are some of the social media stats telling us and how can we adjust our strategy to expand on successes or compensate for shortfalls?

    We selected three areas to discuss. First, how to stand out in a crowded marketplace of 2 Billion. Then we took a look at some of the social selling stats and provided some tips on this “trend” that isn’t going to go away. Finally, we take a look at the importance of serving your customer through your social media platforms.

    2 Billion Users and Counting

    Social media continues to become more ingrained in our daily lives. More people are accessing at least one social media platform every day. More businesses are using social media to reach customers. Facebook, which is still the largest social media platform, alone has 2 billion active users. Facebook also has 65 million active business pages.

    The landscape is crowded and a tremendous amount of content is being added every single day. 100 million pictures and videos are uploaded every day to Instagram. If you are not creating quality content for both your feed and your stories you will be forgotten. Quality content is content that engages followers, has the potential to go viral and is representative of your company. Failing to create quality content and share it regularly will result in less brand awareness, engagement will continue to fall and the cost of doing business on social media will rise.

    Stand Out In The Crowd

    It is easy for your posts to get lost on social media nowadays. Stock photos, overly generic copy, fake authenticity, and recycled posts will not get you noticed. Flashy misleading headlines and fake promises will get you blocked. In order to avoid these pitfalls make sure your content makes sense for your brand and is adding value. Think about your audience and what they need that you can offer, then give it to them.

    Posts that include user-generated content are more likely to engage followers. Encourage followers, customers, employees, brand ambassadors, influencers and friends, and family to engage with your company on social media. Build relationships with those who engage with you on social media, keep a short list of likes and dislikes and notify them if you see something you are certain they will love. A little effort like this goes a long way and will be noticed. Look into possible collaborations. Befriend an Influencer. And lastly, create more video content. Video is still hot and people are more likely to engage with it.

    When you see numbers over a billion it’s natural to feel like its a mountain you will never climb. The beauty of social is that success is built one story at a time, and one customer at a time. Take the time to cultivate the relationships and you will begin to climb that mountain.

    Increase in Social Selling

    Followers being inspired to purchase an item because of something they saw on social media or discovering a new item that they want to purchase on social media is great news for businesses that have items to sell online. Customers are growing more accustomed to the concept of social selling and feel more comfortable making purchases via social media.  These stats also reflect the availability of new features in Instagram and Facebook that allow companies to directly link products to posts, the rise of influencer marketing, and increased visibility on social media for startups.

    If you are selling products and have an online store, I recommend getting social selling up and running, as I don’t see this trend going away anytime soon. As a matter of fact, stats like 49% of people say that the availability of easy payment options like ApplePay or GooglePay on social media platforms would increase the likelihood of them making a purchase and 50% of Gen Z view social media as the most relevant advertising channel suggest we will be looking at social selling for a long time.

    Once you have the basics set up you can directly link to your products in posts, your Facebook page can have an up to date shop section with all of your products. You can feature products directly on your Facebook page. JRH Graphics has a Facebook store and regularly links to items in his IG posts and Stories.

    Are you already utilizing social selling for your company, please share your best practices, we would love to hear from you!

    Serving Customers via Social Media

    With the rise of social selling, users utilizing social media to research products, and the fact that 45% of consumers go to social media first if they have a question or an issue about a product or brand it is clear that social media is no longer just a marketing platform. Social media is now another storefront and another chance to make a first impression. Your social media is part of your customers’ journey and one part of the omnichannel experience they will have with your company.

    The Other 12%?

    88% of social marketers believe it is important to serve customers via social media platforms. My question is what are the other 12% thinking? Social media is part of your customer journey, it is where they go to research your products, buy your products, and see if they have a friend that has used your product. If you are not available on social media to assist someone who wants your product YOU LOST A SALE!

    Social media is a storefront and it is a storefront that needs to be manned. Whoever is managing the interactions needs to be well versed in your product and policies and has to be able to answer questions in a timely manner.

    Social media is a chance at a first impression, and a way to continue telling your story. Your social media needs to reflect your brand and your story. Your social media should be easily recognizable. If I go to your store, your website, your social media platforms it should all be connected.

    A bad experience on social media could end a relationship with a company. Just take a second to think about this stat. 51% of people would unfollow a brand if they posted irritating content.

    Still thinking? Yeah, you got it you lost a follower, you lost a customer! Their customer journey just ended because of something you posted on Instagram. Ouch. This is equal to a customer having a bad interaction at your store.

    A Stat That Drives Home the Point: Social Media Can Not Be Ignored

    That one statistic alone drove home a very important point for me. Your social media platforms are equal to your store, your website, and the interactions that your customers have with you. Social media is no longer something for the marketing team to worry about, it is as big of a big picture item as anything, and it can’t be ignored.We reviewed the stats, made a few suggestions and we hope you have some jumping off points. If you need help coming up with a plan that works for your business please reach out to us here at JRH Graphics. We would love to help you craft your story, engage new followers, and build your business.Sources

    Social Media Today 

    Sprout Social 

    Hootsuite

     

     

     

  • The Buzz Around the Social Media Algorithms

    The Buzz Around the Social Media Algorithms

    Algorithm 2018 and Your Social Media Strategy

    There has been a lot of chat about the 2018 Algorithm on all social media and what they mean to businesses. A lot of people have been whining about how Facebook is hurting their advertisers that pay the bills. More even thinking that Instagram is being unfair in how they are handling what is seen. And before everyone jumps on the bandwagon lets all take a step back and think. Are these changes really hurting you, or are they pushing you forward. Making you take that next terrifying step?  Which in my opinion isn’t that terrifying and shouldn’t really change the core of your strategy anyway.

    The Specifics of the Algorithm Don’t Matter

    Yes, I said it, when you boil it down the specifics of the algorithm absolutely DO NOT MATTER! It really doesn’t, yeah you will need to change maybe how you deliver an idea, switch to a heavier video strategy, utilize more live streaming, use stories, or use fewer hashtags and put them in your caption so they really matter. Make those minor changes, watch what happens and then continue to evolve and respond to your testing. Those things are not the core of your strategy and if they are, I hate to break it to you, you are doin’ it wrong!

    Why I am So Harsh

    Yeah I know I am being harsh. But the thing is those are all minor things. The big deal, the major focus is creating great content that people engage with and then engaging with them. Guess what, CONTENT IS STILL KING!!!! Content will always be king, content is thinking about changing the spelling of his name to KONTENT… he knows he is that big of a deal.

    KONTENT IS KING

    So we have accepted KONTENT as the king! Now, take a deep breath cause stability is here … If you create content that is “edutaining” as in it educates and entertains your followers you win!  If it is something that they actually engage with and you are a smart business person and you engage back, you are golden. All that is really changing is the best method of delivery. It really all boils down to having a great content strategy. Plan it in advance, build it around goals and promotions, and then fill in the specifics as you go and test what works best now within the algorithms.

    Your Content Strategy

    So, yes build out a content strategy in advance. Have a plan for what you are posting and make sure that it is brand appropriate and fulfills the needs of your audience in some way. You should review your plan before you put throw it out there. You should regularly review the results of your plan and adapt as you go. Tweak it to make sure it is still reaching the people that you want to reach. Review and make sure it is appropriate to your brand.

    You Shouldn’t

    The one thing that has made me crazy this week is the idea that these changes require you to throw your entire plan out the window. Rethink everything and throw lots of buzz words and shit at the wall and see what sticks. THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU SHOULD RESORT TO.

    Facebook simply and quite well stated that they wanted to make the time people spend on social media more meaningful… why is that a threat to your business? That should be your goal as well, create content that will make people’s time on social media more meaningful. Instagram’s algorithm change may test your content and see how well it does by releasing it to 10% of people and then if it does well it gets released to the rest. If you create content that the first 10% engage with then it will be released to the rest.

    Wait a minute, they are building the test in for you, don’t get angry, thank Instagram because now all you need to do is see what things engaged really poorly from the start and make less of that content, the stuff that does well you know that you should create more of that content.

    Your overall strategy does not need to change if you are creating great content and engaging with your followers. If you are putting crap content out, or using other people’s content and not actively engaging with followers then you need to worry your content won’t be seen. And honestly, it shouldn’t be seen, put in an effort.

    What changes do matter

    So what does matter with all of these changes? I highly recommend you start a group that is attached to your business page on Facebook as I believe that a lot of the engagement will happen in this community and then get put out by your followers. Dive into video head first. You should not be afraid to go live (I still am). I recommend reviewing your hashtag strategy on Instagram and make sure that you are responding to all your followers quickly.  Be okay with having fewer interactions and be okay with having more engaged followers. Ask followers what kind of content they want to see. Get them involved in your content strategy. Keep your feeds clean and brand appropriate but don’t be afraid to show some personality and quirkiness in your stories.

    And finally I have always recommended this, plan ahead but don’t over plan your calendar. Only schedule 70-75 percent of your posts in advance and leave room in your plan for some trendy posts and user-generated content.

    Now, relax, stop whining, and create great content! Guess what I bet this plan works for 2019 too!

  • Crystal Ball 2018: Predictions for Social Media in the New Year

    Our Crystal Ball Predictions for Social Media and Social Media Marketing?

    Here at JRH Graphics, we actually hate predictions. AKA a random guess! But content planning is important. So, we took a look at our crystal ball (the internets) and tried to assess the social media predictions for 2018. The perusal of articles and posts by talented writers and companies and helped us compile this list. Including some of what we believe will happen based on these trends and what we are seeing ourselves. We want to help you manage your social media. Make smart plans. And slay the year so here is what we think (aka guess)!The TrendThe PredictionsTakeaway

    Instagram Killing it With Stories

    Instagram Stories will continue to capitalize on the successes of 2017 and will continue to gain popularity. Stories are just over 1 year old, yet over 200 million users utilize the feature monthly. More than the number of users on Snapchat, plus with opportunities to tie in e-commerce the future looks bright for Instagram Stories.If you are not already using stories to engage followers then it is time to start using them. Stories are a great way to provide followers and non-followers with an exclusive behind the scenes look of your brand, tell your story and engage customers and potential customers. Check out some tips here!

    The Customer Experience from Start to Finish

    The customer experience throughout the entire life-cycle is incredibly important. Your brand is built on the experiences that customers have. This could be anything from in-store customer service experience, to seeing your items at a local reseller or seeing one of your business’s posts Facebook. Every interaction impacts brand! 

    Creating a great experience for the customer is more likely to help you gain brand loyalists. Negative online experiences, bad customer service,  late delivery of an order, or inconsistent messaging can all hurt your business and they WILL NOT USE YOUR BUSINESS AGAIN. Make no mistake they have other choices.

    No customers = no brand loyalists = no champions of your brand = fewer customer = fewer sales = bye bye businessLock this one down in 2018. Make sure all your employees.  Anyone with customer contact.  Or anyone who creates a policy that will impact a customer. KNOWS THAT THE CUSTOMER COMES FIRST. Create a loyalty program to reward followers and customers. Encourage and reward feedback from customers that post reviews (good or bad). Pay attention to these reviews. You can be certain your customers are reading them. Go Above and Beyond. Everyday. All Day. Until it hurts!

    Content Creation Still Remains Incredibly Important

    What kind of content are you creating? Is it informative? Entertaining yet educational? Is your content unique to your brand and offer greater insight for your followers?

    An overwhelming 70% of people said they’d rather learn about a business via an article instead of an advertisement. Content marketing is cheaper than regular marketing and drives more leads so content marketing will continue to grow. Blog posts, infographics, video, live stream, stories, photos, articles, and so on is all part of content marketing.

    Content creation. Is hard.  It is even harder to do when running your business.  If you don’t have time, consider outsourcing your content creation or certain aspects of your social media to a local company focused on your growth like JRH Graphics. Find the company that meets your content creation needs!

    Great Job Getting On Social and Creating Content But What’s Next?

    Oh c’mon you knew this was going to happen!! In 2017, there were more than 50 million small businesses using social media pages to interact with their customers. Great. Many of these businesses are creating content to educate and inform customers. Awesome.

    But, many consumers are starting to get tired of sponsored or branded content and are skipping over it! Well, shit! Consumers are going to outside sources to get information not directly to brands. Brands are going to need to create more content with independently verifiable information and sources in order for this content to gain traction and help market.Now what? Stop creating content? No continue creating content but use stats and specifics that apply to more than just your company. Share content that can be verified independently. Pro Tip: Look at how you are collaborating, is it possible that one of your past collaborators would be able to create valuable content.

    Get Your Toolkit Today and Start Planning:  Collaboration Toolkit & Pre-Collab Worksheet

    Influencer Marketing Goes Micro

    Over 90% of marketers that utilize influencer marketing believe that it is successful and with traditional marketing continuing to struggle with social more and more companies are likely to move towards this form of marketing. But Influencer Marketing is stepping away from mega-influencers who represent multiple brands.

    Mega-Influencers or spokespeople are not where companies are getting a return on investment. This is why Influencer Marketing is starting to go micro. Followers and consumers are looking for actual people within a community that has invested and real followers.If you are already engaging with influencers are you getting the return on investment you should be? Have you looked at other options or begun to look at the opportunities that may be available from micro-influencers or brand advocates. Also look to create a community around your brand and make sure your influencers are a part of that community. PRO TIP: Don’t end your relationship with an influencer at the end of a contract. Continue to engage!

    Rise of Augmented Reality

    Both the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X have ground-breaking new chips that allow for extraordinary augmented reality experiences. Social Media is likely to incorporate some of these features for their platforms as soon as possible and will likely look for innovative ways to do so. Possible early uses include selfie filters with celebrities or brands having the ability to project products into our homes. What other possibilities do you see from this trend?Small businesses should actively observe what is happening with augmented reality as it develops. It is likely that large companies will be the first to jump on this trend but as social media platforms change and include this technology look to see if it makes sense for you to utilize.

    Gen Z Enters the Workforce

    The impact of the Gen Z generation is about to be felt with marketers as these 22-year-olds are about to enter the workforce. As they step into the workforce and they will gain more buying power and become more important to organizations. We just got used to millennials but its time to change again.

    Engagement on platforms where Gen Z resides will be key. How are they engaging with companies and changing the way you do business?Actively observe the developments and pay attention to trends here. Small businesses may have a bit more time to react to Gen-Z, but start looking for opportunities now. Key platforms will include YouTube, Live Streaming Sites, and possibly still some Snapchat. Key practices will include transparency and authenticity.

    It’s Going to Be All About Live

    Live messaging apps and live streaming are going to become more ingrained in the mainstream. Over 2.5 billion people are utilizing live messaging apps and live streaming is making up a large part of video content consumed. Brands will need to begin looking at options to engage on these live apps when followers are looking for them.Live gives businesses many opportunities to show off the behind the scenes, tell a story, give followers special benefits and to be unscripted. Live messaging is a good place to begin working with bots, but don’t forget the human touch!

    So, What Do You Think?

    Those are some of the trends we believe will be dominating social media this upcoming year, based on our readings, and what we are seeing with our clients. We invite you to share your thoughts throughout the year below! To read some of the articles we read and to draw tour own conclusions then please visit these links.

    Forbes: Social Media 2018

    Hootsuite: 2018 Social Media Trends 

    https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300813

    Socialmediatoday: Trends to Watch Out For in 2018 

  • Strategies to Expand Your Reach on Social Media

    What Strategies Will Expand Your Reach on Social?

    What strategies should I use to expand my social media reach quickly? is there an easy way to gain a following on social? What strategies will help jumpstart my social media and make sure that my content is seen? How do I get more people to like my stuff? This post was inspired by my clients and that ask to increase their visibility, influence etc on social media. And don’t get me wrong I love these questions and I love to share my knowledge with folks. The one thing that I warn you of is I am not going to provide you with a quick fix. I don’t believe that one exists. You gotta hustle hard if you want to see results!

    Some Basic Strategies

    Yeah, I don’t believe in quick fixes but here are a few strategies to optimize what you are doing on social…

    1) Get your friends, family loved one and co-workers where appropriate to follow and share your profiles. Engage with them and provide the content that they want to see, its a start and if they share content it expands your reach.

    2) Include your profiles everywhere you can with a message encouraging them to follow you along with the benefits of following you where space allows. Don’t forget to include in email signatures, business pages, LinkedIn Profile, alignable profiles,  on business cards and visible on the website above the fold.

    3) Search important Hashtags within your niche and favorite interesting tweets.

    4) Retweet, Repost, or share content you like and join conversations to engage new followers

    5) Link to high-quality content on your site/blog

    6) Provide useful and edutaining tips that relate to your field of work and provide useful and actionable info to your followers

    7) Use a branded #hashtag

    8) Get a wider reach by promoting events that you are attending using the appropriate hashtag combined with your profile name and or hashtag so posts show on event with a link back to your profiles. Its another way to engage others effectively.

    9) Show followers a bit of the behind the scenes for some realness

    10) Don’t forget to promote your profiles and include them in content you create

    11) Share your brand story as well as your story

    12) Ask this important question to your followers on a fairly regular basis “How can I help you?” and when someone responds, help them. This si a major part of an effective engagement strategy.

    13) Want some additional tips, tricks, and strategies I recommend to clients and followers? Check out this collection of social media tidbits! 

    An Important Note On Content:

    Before exploring some strategies a bit more in depth, I want to be sure that I clarify the importance of content! Content is king, always will be and that is why you can’t try to get around it the easy way. The two essentials for a successful social media strategy are ENGAGE FOLLOWERS AND PROVIDE GREAT CONTENT!

    The content you create should be aimed at EDUTAINING your followers by being informational, educational and fun. Great content will always win so focus on creating that and let the rest fall into place. It takes time but you want to be a thought leader, a resource, and an innovative thinker content creation is the surefire way, Your followers may not need your services right now but if you are sharing winning content that educates and informs them they will think of you first when they need you!

    The “Advanced” Strategies to Extend Your Reach

    I say advanced but really these are all essential things that all businesses on social media should do in order to get the most out of what they are doing on social media!

    1- Brand

    Make sure your brand identity is fully developed, down to knowing what you would post and wouldn’t post, and how you want followers to perceive your brand. Know Your Brand, Be Your Brand, Believe In Your Brand

    2- Social Mission

    Have a clearly defined mission and goals for social media as well as what success will look like for your brand. In this mission include if the goal is to sell on social, influence or educate. My recommendation is always to educate and engage by creating great content!

    3- Audience

    You can not create a content strategy until you know your audience. What type of person/business do you want to attract? Do you know their interests and needs? What problems do they have and how can you solve them? where do they get their information or what websites do they read daily? Understanding your audience is fundamental to creating content that they’ll find valuable.

    4- Be a thought leader in your niche

    Share content that highlights your innovative thoughts and ways of handling situations. You can also share content of other thought leaders and well-respected members within your niche.

    5- Communicate and Engage

    Promote two-way communication on your social media platforms by asking questions to your followers and encouraging them to share questions and ideas via comments on your social media. Then answer and engage those who share with you. Provide them useful information that they can see the value in. Don’t only link to your website link to other respected people in the industry as well.

    6- Social Service

    Build brand ambassadors by providing stellar “social service” and encouraging followers to share experiences with your brand. Provide an incentive for followers sharing reviews both good and bad (seriously), ask for feedback regularly on social, and act upon the feedback you get.

    7- Interaction

    Interact with other profiles regularly and provide thoughtful and relevant comments when commenting. This will give your brand more exposure especially if you target very popular posts, where several people will receive a newsfeed update with your comment. But beware of wasting time posting on posts that are “too popular” this is a judgment call but if you are comment number 300 on a post people may not be paying attention anymore.

    8- Collaboration

    Message interesting pages that you think your target audience follows and propose doing a featured post about them or their site and ask if they will do the same. Or work together on an event, or do a photoshoot together. Collaboration is key to social media success. See my blog post on collaboration.

    9- Quality not Quantity

    Focus on quality not quantity in regards to both your blog posts and your followers. As long as you have a consistent posting schedule that features high-quality content you will be good. In regards to followers, I’d take 400 fans who engage with my content and generate business over 5,000 who are indifferent to my business any day!

    10- Vary What You Post

    Experiment with different types of posts and mix things up a bit. Ask questions, share a behind-the-scenes picture of your workspace, or take advantage of the social aspect to ask for ideas, feedback, and input. Get creative and keep things interesting for your followers.I’d always recommend seeking and sharing the best content with others too. As well as helping to build trust and relationships, this helps your channels become a destination for people looking to learn and be inspired. See 9 Posts Every Business Should Try on Social

    11- 80/20

    Remember the 80/20 Rule 80% of what you post should be educational, informative, useful or funny 20% should be promotional… Or, as author Gary Vaynerchuk puts it: give, give, give, then ask… see more Gary V. here… 

    12 Be yourself and it is okay to be funny

    Keeping your audience in mind at all times but that does not mean hide who you are. Your personality is the key to

    Social media is also a great place to share a little more of you, whether behind the scenes shots or sneak peeks of a new product you’re working on. Trust is a huge component of the buying process; letting people in a little help your readers feel like they’re trusted, which in turn helps them to trust you too.

    13- Influencers to Influence Step 1

    Find influencers in your niche to engage with because following them and engaging with their posts by liking, commenting and sharing (without overdoing it, of course) you put yourself on their radar and may well find that they’ll reciprocate later!

    14- Use Images, Always

    Use relevant high-quality images as images have a much higher engagement than just text or links,

    15-DIALOGUE AND RESPECT

    Think about paying it forward. As well as responding to messages, be proactive and start conversations. Congratulate people on their achievements, comment on and share relevant posts and offer your input when someone asks a question. Seek to add value and make meaningful connections. Doing this has not only helped my business, it’s helped me make new friends too!

    16. Stop. Review. Revise. Restart

    Regularly using the metrics and feedback from followers as your guide. While you are doing this also review what others are doing, get ideas and see how you can do something that works for your brand

  • Discounting Your Customers: The Customer Experience v. Vanity Metrics

    What Moment will Define Your Customers Experience with Your Business

    Faces Get Likes

    The stat included above shows a very simple social media concept… faces get likes! But many times likes are viewed as a vanity metric, with good reason. But as a business owner, it is incredibly important to be aware that those vanity metrics that we may be discounting are our potential customers.

    Vanity Metrics?

    As I was looking for some content to support the statistic above and to see what I wanted to say when I posted it and I found myself wadding into a soupy mess of negativity about “collecting likes for likes” or “vanity metrics.” Plus lots of folks ranting about how stupid social media interaction is in general. I spent far too long spiraling downward into this mess and found myself downright angry. I get the idea of vanity metrics, yes you should always aim for valuable deeper interactions with followers.

    Your end game should always be creating customers for life but that relationship needs to start somewhere.

    But c’mon people lets be real here the customer (who we will call Becky) to the business relationship has to start somewhere. Maybe Becky just stumbled upon your page and thought one of your posts was cool. Becky Double taps. What if Becky was the only one that liked your post? What would you do? Discount Becky with the mentality of likes don’t matter and move on?

    Don’t Discount Becky

    No, a smart business owner would have brought on someone to handle social media at least part-time and made sure that Becky was engaged. That has the potential to start a relationship.

    “Thanks for the like @Becky, we have tons more of these in store we hope you come in and check them out soon.

    Becky sees that comment on her way to work and it makes her smile, unfortunately, she has a crazy busy week and didn’t respond. But Becky smiled and maybe that relationship is budding because she wanted to respond back and see where the store was located but life got crazy.

    Sadly, this time Becky lost track of this company, couldn’t remember the name but really wanted to check them out when life calmed down.

    Another Chance to Begin the Customer Relationship

    Three months later while on vacation Becky again stumbles upon another cute post from this company and she is happily reunited and quickly double taps before throwing here iPhone onto her lounge chair where it took an awkward bounce and landed in the deep end of the pool.

    Poor @Becky just a poor discounted customer “like” on the sale rack.But while on vacation, Becky met her future husband and they bonded over wet iPhones and they both loved social media, and how he also ran a small business and he was looking for creative people to partner with.

    The  Customer/ Business Relationship Finally Begins for Becky

    A little Instagram stalking and they find the post that Becky liked, he loves the same post, he follows the company. When he returns, he send a DM and sets up a meeting. Becky finally gets to see the store and thrilled with all the quirky offerings! She buys 20 items for friends and family that Christmas. She knows they will love them.

    See where this is going?

    Yeah, the store is about to have a lot of new customer relationships!  19 of the 20 recipients of the gifts from Becky love the items. They get and can’t wait to visit this new found treasure.  When they all visit over the next few months they all buy items to take to friends! Becky’s friend Becky actually has her bridal shower in the store. Sales are up 200% that year and the social media manager lands a full-time gig with an assistant to help!Ok, I know what’s my point: My point is Becky’s like was easy but it was a start, as a business owner I don’t know where my next meal may come from. I don’t know if that one like is a gateway. Be aware of your mindset and tone of conversations about social media metrics. Each one of those likes could be a new customer for life if they feel valued; discount them and they will find someone else to take money from them

  • It Started With An Orchid

    How an Orchid Began A Mutually Beneficial Collaborative Relationship!

    This story of collaboration starts with an idea and an orchid! The main cast of characters includes a retail manager taking on a new line of work, a newly established garden center focusing on orchids and succulents and a very kind, business-minded and inspiring “influencer” who does more than influence.

    This story highlights what can happen when businesses play well in the sandbox of life together, understand the benefits of partnership; and having a defined and well-respected brand.

    In the Beginning:

    It was a simple idea and one that I list below as a way to collaborate with other influencers and companies. We reached out to @blonde_inthedistrict (Dani Sauter) to see if she would like an Urban Jungle orchid leading up to Valentine’s Day, all we were asking for in return was a post on Instagram before the holiday. In actuality, what Urban Jungle got in return was a brand ambassador, a believer in the Urban Jungle brand and by extension a believer in JRH Graphics. And because she believes in JRH graphics she has supported other brands that I represent when the missions and beliefs are a good match, like most recently with Lea Berry Coaching!

    Lea and Dani Get Down to Business Tips

    Both strong business women the photo collaboration started early in the morning and was a lively exchange between Lea and Dani the entire time. They exchanged tips and trick, learned from one another and of course slayed more than a few photos that 21-year-old photographer Callum (ce_photogs) shot. Callum and I chatted about our photography experiences and the importance of social media and expanding reach. I know that I watched closely as he set up and framed shots and listened to how he directed his models. After all, it was an opportunity to show this old dog some new tricks!

    Combining Strengths and Learning New Tricks

    Learning and teaching is one of the values I share with the businesses and influencers I agree to work with. Exchanges of knowledge, ability to learn from one another’s successes and mistakes; as well as combining the strength and reach of collaborators is the most important reason to collaborate.

    Other Benefits of Collaborating Include

    • inspiration
    • Re-enforce the idea that you are a leading expert in your field
    • Expanded Reach
    • Expanded exposure and increased following
    • Future collaborations and partnerships
    • Increased sales
    • New Audiences
    • A different POV
    • New friends, mentors, and people who support your mission
    • A partner in crime to help you come up with those amazingly great ideas.
    • Not a bad goody bag huh?!?

    All photos by @ce_photogs on Instagram!

    So Here is Some Useful Collaboration Information

    So I blabbered on and on about my experience with a portion of a collaboration but here is the useful stuff. Some info on influencers, questions to ask yourself pre-collab, what to look for from a collaboration and types of collaborations

    Collaborations:

    An agreement between brands to work together on a project with the intention of creating something. In many cases on social the brands are working together to create content that will engage both of their followers.

    Influencer:

    An influencer is an individual who has an impact on a specific niche of social media. Influencers are normal people, who are often connected to key consumer groups, industry associations or community tribes. The importance of influencers is best understood when you look at who millennials look to for advice, influencers are peers of the groups they influence so as a brand if you want to gain the inside connection to a certain group look to see who the influencers are in that group.

    Do Collabs have to be with an influencer?

    Absolutely not, collaborations can be with other brands, people that make complementing items and other media members. Anyone! Businesses and influencers and bloggers and plain ole normal folks can all work together like one big happy supportive family!

    What to Look for Pre-Collaboration:

    Be smart and strategic in the way that you approach collaborations, know your audience and what they would like to see from your collaborations

    Will you be developing content that is edutaining for your followers?

    Do collaborators share a vision and a brand identity with you?

    Are the lines of communication and brainstorming open and easy? Do you feel comfortable sharing ideas with one another?

    Will the benefits be equal for all brands?

    How will you promote the collaboration and what do you hope to get out of it?

    Do you feel like you will be able to learn from the collaborator?

    Types of Collaborations:

    Be creative in your collaborations look at what your strengths are and the strengths of the other brands involved and how you can use them. Here are some ways to collaborate:

    Giveaways: Woohoo free stuff!

    Giveaway an item you wish to promote to influencers and other businesses and ask if they will post about it on social or via a blog if they like it!  I am a strong believer that in these situations when you believe in your product you should not even have to ask them to share- your product will do the work for you. I also believe in follow-up. If you do not hear anything back then follow-up with them, they may be busy and not had time or they may have useful feedback!

    Photoshoots

    Photoshoots are a great way to collaborate because lets face it, we all need 9 zillion pictures a year to have the amount of content needed to keep our Instagram feeds alive an fresh, so these collaborations are great ways to get to know people and plan future collaborations, get some new photographers some exposure, and keep you feed fresh with new content!

    Guest Posts and Story Takeovers

    Guest posts on your blog or story takeovers are great ways to expand your audiences and expose your followers to new and edutaining content that is created by the partner. Keeps things fresh and exposes followers to a different POV!

    Photo Contests

    Photo Contests or Competitions: It engages followers and encourages them to contribute to your page. Each follower has their own circle of friends and can be viewed as mini-influencers each able to expand the reach of your brand with this type of collaboration. The other bonus of this type of collaboration is the creation of user-generated content which is awesome. When you share user-generated content you are engaging your followers with content that they are more likely to share, thus increasing your reach .

    Get Influencers to Compete

    Influencer competitions: Similar to above just engaging influencers within a certain market to highlight your brand and gain exposure.

  • Take Better Photos for Social Media

    Social Media Photography

    Let’s face it good photos are necessary for success. Instagram has forced us all to be better photographers, and some of us have been successful!  Others are still working on what it takes to snap killer social media pics. Today I am providing you with a few essential tips for taking better photos for all social media- because a better picture will help on all platforms! You are looking to capture clean, crisp images with a specific point of view and limited distractions!

    First things first, know your equipment and how to use all of its features. An iPhone can take amazing pictures in natural filtered light when used correctly. But it can take awful pictures that look grainy or over-processed if using the wrong settings. Get to know the camera you are using and take lots and lots of pictures with it, which brings me to my first and in my opinion my most important tip.

    Take More Photos Than You Think You Could Possibly Use

    The most important thing I can suggest is to take more pictures than you think you could need! If you follow the rest of the tips and tricks, then at least a few of the photos will turn out awesome. Plus even the most experienced photographers with the best equipment and most excellent cameras on a perfect day end up with a few awful photos! They won’t show you them, but I promise you this is true.

    The Essentials: Tips You Need for Killer Social Media Photos

    What else should you do to improve your photography skills? How about these tips:

    1. Make sure that your lens is clean and not cracked or obstructed.
    2. Steady your phone by bracing your arm against a table or use a tripod
    3. Come closer, no closer, no closer- yup right there is perfect
    4. Food- Life coach, lawyer, or chef; it does not matter food is a win on Instagram and other social media. Find a way to rotate it into your posts. After all, food is one of our 9 Essential Posts for Businesses on Social Media
    5. Use the grid feature in your camera app on your phone to straighten out the horizon and keep your followers from getting seasick.
    6. Embrace cloudy days; filtered light is perfect for photos
    7. Don’t over-edit your photos. Which is absurd coming from the king of overediting! But seriously, don’t go too far with the editing it makes it look grainy and odd unless you are going full-fledged nutty with them as I do.
    8. Tap the screen to hold the focus on your subject
    9. Try not to use the flash- be willing to redirect and filter light to eliminate bright and dark spots and shadowing.
    10. Are you taking a selfie? Turn your phone around its a better, more flattering camera.
    11. Learn the rules, take some great photos, then break the rules and take lots more photos but take a lot of photos! I mean it! Click Away!

    Staging and Presentation Tips

    1. Stage the photo and make sure that the foreground and background are clean and well-presented Take a few shots to look at them. Adjust lighting and correct issues. Repeat.
    2. Take the time to clean the surface, stage the photo, and eliminate the distractions like a dirty fork or crushed beer can.
    3. Stand on a chair above the subject of any flat lay photo, but make sure you aren’t casting a shadow on the subject.
    4. Take photos in front of cool things like murals and large-scale objects helps you focus and will draw the viewers attention
    5. Pay attention to framing and learn the Rule of Thirds which by many is considered the golden rule of photography- it helps you successfully find a way to direct your viewers to the subject of the photo while capturing a story or emotion. It’s applied by aligning a subject with strict guidelines and their intersection points made into squares, to allow an image to flow from section to section and creates energy and interest.

  • Sales & Engagement Up Due To Social Media Marketing

    Social Media Marketing is Increasing Sales and Engagement

    A recent report released by Social Media Examiner indicated that 74% of businesses using Social Media as a marketing tool saw an increase in sales. 91% saw an increase in engagement. But do these numbers tell the whole story?

    The Gap in the Numbers

    It takes time to develop meaningful relationships that lead to sales. Your followers may not be ready to make a purchase quite yet. They may have no intention of buying something. But they can still be loyal followers. Even if they aren’t buying from you right now keep the long term in mind. Treat them with respect. Provide them useful information. Entertain (or edutain as I like to say). That formula allows you to potentially have a loyal customer for life.

    The amount of time someone has been doing social media marketing also plays a role in the time utilized and success.

    A large percentage of marketers now know that you do not see immediate results with social media marketing. For example, more than half of marketers who’ve been using social media for more than 2 years report it helped them improve sales. More than half who spend 6 or more hours per week find the same results. 74% of those who spend 40+ hours per week earn new business through their efforts.

    Businesses Not Seeing An Increase

    What if you are on the opposite end of the spectrum? 48% of all marketers taking this survey report that social media has not helped them improve sales. Do these marketers have the tools needed to directly track sales? Many companies have gaps in their customer journey. This leads to being unable to truly track the actual impact of social media marketing on sales.

    Visibility and Exposure for Your Business

    What about increased exposure (getting more people in front of your profile and brand). The vast majority of marketers (91%+) indicated their social media efforts increased exposure for their businesses. Nearly all marketers (88%+) who’ve been employing social media marketing for 1 year or longer report it generates exposure for their business. So the challenge then becomes converting those followers to shoppers.

    Social Media is Not A Get Rich Quick Scheme

    Combine the right plan of attack with someone with experience managing your social platforms. Add in some great content and you can see success. Just remember building an audience and establishing yourself as an authority takes time. Stay in it for the long haul.