29 Jul

5 Ways to Increase Your Reach Over Google+ Without Paying

Posted in Small Business Advertising, Social Media on 29.07.16 by John Meloche

To conclude social commerce week, we’re going to talk about a social media outlet that most people neglect. While Google+ isn’t exactly as well known as the previous 3 mediums that we’ve covered, it still boasts a large audience and contains many perks. According to DMR stats, Google+ has 300 million monthly active users. So there’s definitely a significant audience present and its connections with Google itself open up many SEO opportunities. Here are 5 ways you can increase your reach over Google+:

  1. Add People to Your Circle. The first step of developing a network is actually getting people to join your network. Adding a lot of people to your network also offers SEO benefits as well.
  2. Optimize your Posts. Speaking of SEO opportunities, a larger circle means you have higher chances of being recognized over Google searches. One of the greatest things about Google+ is the ability to come up on the first page of Google searches. How it works is that if someone from your circle searches something up on Google, and you’ve already written about it on your Google+ profile, then it will show up on the first page of their search. So if you add a lot of people to your circle, and post regularly about things people in your circle might look up, then your SEO will go through the roof!
  3. Create or Join Communities. Communities are like Google+’s version of Facebook groups. This allows you to optimize both the reach and selectivity of your social media efforts. You can join or create a group that features other people or businesses within your industry or potential clientele. It’s a great way to increase the effectiveness of your posts while at the same time developing relationships with potential fans or allies over social media.
  4. Let Others Know how you Feel. Go out and find posts relevant to your company’s niche and industry. Share your positive opinions. Not only does this make people more interested in your business, but it makes your business come off as an actual person with actual interests. People respect that, especially over social media where identities become one huge enigma.
  5. +1 Posts. +1’s are like the Google+ version of likes. Now this tactic stays consistent over all social media platforms. People appreciate it when you like their stuff. It makes them feel better about their content and makes them more generous. This newfound generosity often leads to a follow back or in Google+, another person in your circle. Not only that but a +1 gives people clarity on your interactions. They want to know that your going to interact with them, +1’s help clear that dilemma up.

 

Well it’s clear, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or even Google+, social media sets businesses up with great opportunities for success. They exponentially increase your reach, help reach new clientele, and expand your user base. Social media is becoming the advertising tool of the future and for good reason. So make sure your business starts operating across all these mediums and follow these rules. Once that happens, then the followers, likes, and customers will all come together.

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28 Jul

5 Ways to Increase Your Instagram Reach Without Paying

Posted in Small Business Advertising, Social Media on 28.07.16 by John Meloche

Concluding the big three with the most photogenic social media outlet, today we’re looking at Instagram. While this is the last of the big three social media mediums that we are covering, it certainly isn’t the smallest. According to DMR stats, Instagram has around 500 million monthly active users and 300 million daily active users. Instagram has become a cherished social media outlet over the years as people admire that there’s a true place to show their photographic memories. Despite this, businesses are struggling with their Instagram reach. There are easy and free ways to counteract these struggles. Here are 5 free things you can do to improve your Instagram reach:

  1. Twitter and Facebook Shout-outs. Just because you’re operating on all these mediums, doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to connect them. If you have a lot of likers on your Facebook page, or a lot of followers on Twitter, then use them to your advantage. A simple reminder to follow your Instagram page could go a long way. Essentially you’re just reaching out to different fans of yours across social media and trying to bring them all together.
  2. Post at the Right Time. Timing is extremely important on Instagram. You have to identify peak times for Instagram audiences. Typically, mornings aren’t too great because people are working, however, late afternoon/early night time is great for posting. Right after work people will go through their phone and check their Instagram feed. Maybe scroll through Instagram on their commute back from work. At night, you can catch audiences scrolling through their phones before bed time. Posting between 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. is ideal for optimizing the reach on your Instagram posts.
  3. Engage your Fans. The whole point of social media is to get your fans further involved in your business. You want them to garner support for your company and act as if they’re in it. So how do you do that? Well, you ask them questions. Comments are your best friend in this case. Get people to comment and share their opinions on your posts. Not only does this get your fans more involved with your business, but it allows you to develop a greater bond with them as well.
  4. Like Others’ Content. We’ve mentioned this before in previous blogs. People love it when you notice their posts. A subtle like or comment can result in another follower. Neil Patel from Quicksprout implemented this strategy and found that for every 100 likes he did of random pictures, he received 6.1 more followers.
  5. Be Careful with your Hashtags. Hashtags are a very contentious matter on social media, especially Instagram. According to Buffer Social, interactions are highest on Instagram posts with 11+ hashtags. Others would argue that you shouldn’t use that many hashtags. Sarah Dawley from Hootsuite, advises against the overuse of hashtags as too many can distract your audience and take away from your message. So what’s a safe number? 5-7 is a safe bet for getting a good reach while at the same time preventing the dilution of your core message.

 

There are a lot of small details, that when considered, can greatly increase your reach. Simply fine-tuning some minor things on your post can help you reach thousands, maybe even millions more people. So get on Instagram, tell your story, and make some friends.

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27 Jul

5 Ways to Gain Twitter Followers Without Paying

Posted in Small Business Advertising, Social Media, Synergy Suggestions on 27.07.16 by John Meloche

Going along with our social commerce theme, we are now looking at another huge social media outlet: Twitter. Twitter is extremely popular and is still growing in size. According to DMR stats, 310 million people use Twitter and 100 million people are active daily users. What does that mean? Well just like Facebook, there’s a large crowd of people you don’t want to miss out on. Even with the enormous audience, businesses still struggle to expand their reach and connect with potential clientele. So today we’re looking at 5 free things you can do to increase your Twitter following:

  1. Post a lot. This is consistent across all social media outlets. You have to actively post in order to catch and keep the attention of new fans. Just make sure you’re actually posting consistent quality material.
  2. Connect with Similar Accounts.  Go out and explore Twitter and search for similar accounts like yours. Or even search for people who are interested in your industry’s work. Retweet, favorite, or comment on posts relevant to your company and start conversations. Not only is this a great way to bring people to your account, but it’s ideal for starting new relationships with fans over social media.
  3. Follow more people. This could be the simplest thing you can do. People take notice to new followers and occasionally you’ll get a follow back.
  4. Make Sure your Bio is good. Your bio is often the first thing a customer will see when they see your Twitter page. Not only that but it’s the first piece of info they will receive about your company. That little blurb of text is your businesses’ first impression. First impressions definitely matter, so make sure your bio is professional, informative, and intriguing. Don’t go on about your business; people don’t want to read a long paragraph and there’s a limit to your text.  Include all the info you believe is necessary for the twitter user to know. Again, I want to emphasize that a short bio is more effective; people have a short attention span and that attention span is even shorter on social media.
  5. Control your Hashtags. Although Twitter is the origin of hashtags, it’s not the most hashtag-friendly social media medium. It’s been proven that tweets with hashtags are more effective in terms of reach. however, too many can reverse that effect. How many is too many? Well according to Buddy Media, a tweet with one or two hashtags has 21% higher engagement than tweets with three or more hashtags. Not only this. but tweets with three or more hashtags have actually shown a 17% drop in engagement. It’s actually crazy to think that an additional hashtag can cost the reach of thousands of people. So your ideal tweet should contain one or two hashtags in order to optimize the reach on your posts.

 

While there is a lot of meticulous details with tweeting, it can open so many doors for your business. According to Jayson DeMers from Forbes, 36% of marketers say they have gained a customer by using Twitter. There is so much potential in social media and Twitter is just one of many social commerce opportunities for an expanded clientele base. So get on Twitter, follow these steps, and see your followers number and user base increase.

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26 Jul

5 Ways To Increase Your Facebook Reach Without Paying

Posted in Social Media, Synergy Suggestions on 26.07.16 by John Meloche

This week we are dedicating our blog to social commerce. We are finding ways to improve your presence across all the major social media mediums. First we are starting with one of the most famed and biggest social media outlets: Facebook. Right now more than 1 billion people are on Facebook. It is one of the most popular mediums, if not the most popular. With the immense audience present, you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your posts. So here are 5 ways to help you increase the reach on your Facebook posts.

  1. Create a lot of Content. This just makes sense. You have to post a lot to actually get people’s attention. If you constantly create quality content, then expect the number of likes you have on your page to increase.
  2. Mix it up. Don’t just post pure text all the time. Include some pictures, links, interesting graphics, etc. Posting interesting content coupled with eye catching graphics can be critical for reaching new audiences.
  3. Incite Comments. A great way to get people on board with your Facebook page is to get them involved. Encourage your followers to comment on your posts; ask for their opinions. A great way to achieve this is by starting your posts off with a question to your followers.
  4. Get involved with Other People’s Pages. This is a great way to build social media relationships with fans. People and other pages love it when you notice and share their material. So when you do stuff like that, people appreciate it and are more inclined to return the favor.
  5. Don’t use Hashtags. This might come as a shock to you, but believe it or not hashtags aren’t too effective on Facebook. In fact, they’ve been proven to be the opposite. According to research from EdgeRank Checker, hashtags on Facebook have no positive effects on your posts’ reach. Posts without hashtags have actually been found to have a better reach than those containing hashtags. While hashtags may be ideal for other social media sites, it has not yet found its place on Facebook.

Reaching audiences on Facebook can be difficult but when it comes down to it, it’s all about building relationships with your fans. Showing them love will only lead to them doing the same.

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21 Jul

The SWAG Behind Music Festivals

Posted in News, Promotional Products on 21.07.16 by John Meloche

We’ve always discussed promotional items and their ability to capture moments that we cherish. We’ve mentioned how they serve as a tangible memory, or link back to a certain event. While we have only used this definition for large sporting occasions, it certainly applies to other big events as well. Another great example of an event that promotional items, or SWAG, thrives in, are music festivals.

Coachella, Lollapalooza, Osheaga, the list goes on. Music festivals are now becoming big ticket shows in North America. Their popularity has increased dramatically over the past couple of years, as these shows are now bigger than ever. How do promotional items factor into this?

People attending these festivals want to get something that serves as a symbol of all the fun they had. Mitchell Peters, from Billboard, wrote that merchandise sales are going through the roof mainly because festivalgoers want a souvenir and a remembrance of that weekend. Promotional items are the only marketing tools that can enable you to achieve that. People are now starting to spend absurd amounts of money on merchandise. Even now music festivals are starting to implement cashless transactions within the festival grounds. Instead of paying with cash, you load up money on your ticket, wristband, etc., then you buy things with that. This was done to make it even easier to buy merchandise, food, drinks, etc.

There is a huge market for music festival SWAG and it’s only growing. The increased popularity of music festivals is feeding right into merchandise sales and enhancing them greatly. It’s clear that if you want to remember your awesome time from an event like this, SWAG is what you need.

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20 Jul

#Hashtag 2: How Do You Use Hashtags?

Posted in Small Business Advertising, Social Media on 20.07.16 by John Meloche

Now that we know what hashtags are, and how they work. Our attention now shifts as to how we can use them to optimize our posts’ reach. Let’s look at how we can use hashtags in an effective manner:

  1. Posting Relevant Hashtags. We mentioned before hashtags categorize tweets. They act as a social media organizer. Well when you make a post with an irrelevant hashtag, you’re essentially putting it in the wrong category. All that does is create confusion within the audience you’d like to reach. A disengagement is formed between your posts and your audience, and as a result you harm your reach. Moral of the story is, when your posting something, make sure you use appropriate and relevant hashtags. You’ll create more genuine interest that way and increase your reach.
  2. Not overusing Hashtags. While it may seem like it’s beneficial to use a lot of hashtags, it’s actually been proven to be detrimental to a post’s reach. Too many hashtags can send a poor vibe to your audience. Sometimes when people see an absurd amount of hashtags, they see it as a pathetic or desperate attempt to reach a lot of people. It can reflect poorly on your social media efforts and company.
  3. Use Hashtag tracking tools. There are now websites and apps dedicated to determining the effectiveness of your hashtags. These tools are designed to allow you to pick the most relevant and popular hashtags. They allow you to be more efficient and effective with your hashtags. Some examples of hashtag tracking tools are hashtagify.me, RiteTag, Tagboard, etc.

Hashtags can be extremely effective when used properly. There a couple of blatantly obvious things that you should avoid when using hashtags. However, with all the advanced social media tools present today, #hashtag optimization has become more realistic and easy to achieve.

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18 Jul

Why Do #hashtags Matter To Your Business?

Posted in Small Business Advertising, Social Media on 18.07.16 by John Meloche

One of the most amazing things about social media is that you have the ability to reach millions simply by typing one word. Of course that word would have to proceed a pound sign, or hashtag. But how do hashtags allow you to reach these people? Let’s take a look at how hashtags can amplify your posts’ reach.

Hashtags start by making your posts more searchable and easier to find. When you enter a hashtag on your posts you’re essentially opening up your post to a variety of people. Hashtags are used to categorize tweets and let people see all the tweets pertaining to a particular category. Usually you’ll cover a major topic relevant to your post. Ideally you’ll use a hashtag that’s covering something that’s trending and thus will open your posts to an immense audience. When these stories become trendy, people then become more interested and want to know as much as possible. This means that they’ll look at every post that relates to that popular topic and hence will look at all the posts using that trendy hashtag.

Hashtags are even more powerful now as users can now look up hashtags. This allows users to have easier access to posts about new, trendy topics. Before these posts would be revealed after clicking a hashtag from a post, but now it is much easier to deeply explore prominent topics.

Hashtags are a very powerful tool; they can help open doors to millions of people. When used properly, they can be your best friend. So keep the #hashtags rolling, and amp up your social media presence.

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15 Jul

5 Ways To Strengthen Your Social Media Presence

Posted in Small Business Advertising, Social Media, Synergy Suggestions on 15.07.16 by John Meloche

Did you know that YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter serve as the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th most visited websites respectively? There’s such an immense audience present on social media, but still businesses struggle to direct traffic to their social media pages. Well, fear no more, cause here are 5 ways to strengthen your company’s social media presence.

  1. Constantly Post. This is kind of obvious. People don’t want to follow a plain and boring account. They want to see a consistent stream of interesting content. At least a post a day is good, but if you can post more then that would be ideal.
  2. Change it up. It’s good to post consistently but make sure you’re changing the material. People don’t want to see the exact same post every day. The whole point is you want to keep people interested, steady similar posts doesn’t really achieve that.
  3. Make the Content Relevant. You have to make sure the stuff you post actually relates to your business somehow. Ideally you want to explore different routes that help reveal your businesses’ niche in an interesting way. Also when you post, you want to portray a realistic image of your company. You have to realize that your Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram account, etc., are all your virtual representatives. You need to post stuff that your business would otherwise be interested in. You have to conduct yourself in a professional matter over social media in order to maintain a beneficial/good image of your company. People look to social media for pretty much anything, you don’t want them to develop a poor image of your company because of some irrelevant posts; that’s a large market you don’t want to miss out on.
  4. Like Random People’s content. Believe it or not this is a pretty effective strategy. There’s no better way to appear on social media, then on someone’s notification page. People are obsessed with getting likes, some would even go as far to buy likes for their posts. When you like a person’s post, they notice it, and some would even get so happy that they’d maybe even follow you back. Neil Patel, from Quicksprout, used this strategy and found that for every 100 likes he made on random people’s photos, he got 6.1 followers.
  5. Take Advantage of Hashtags. Hashtags have made many marketer’s dreams come true. With a simple hashtag, you can reach millions. However, there is a caveat to hashtags. It’s extremely easy to misuse hashtags. It’s important to stress quality over quantity for hashtags. Make sure your hashtags are actually relevant to your company and posts. Irrelevant hashtags can easily confuse your audience and throw them off your posts. For example, #followforfollow probably isn’t the right thing to say when you’re posting about a big sale.

Social media can open so many doors for your business, but it’s all about using it the right way. Your posts need to be relevant and interesting, otherwise you can say #goodbye to new followers.

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14 Jul

How Intelligent is Your Business?

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 14.07.16 by John Meloche

We keep on mentioning the impact of the advanced technology around us. Lately on our blog, we’ve analyzed the effect this technology will have on conducting business. However, we haven’t really looked at how this technology affects the internal operations of a business. Technological advances have lead to increased efficiency across the supply chain. New systems are being developed to essentially run a businesses’ internal operations. With the virtually unlimited data available on the internet, it may be easy to overlook relevant data; experience a sort of data overload.

Business Intelligence(BI) software gathers data from all over and turns it into information that your business can use to be more successful. It essentially translates relevant data into useful information that your business can use for making good business decisions. Historically such software has been used mainly by bigger corporations, however, the growth of Internet technology has enabled small businesses to utilize these BI solutions as well.

BI software is becoming more and more prominent as businesses are turning to computerized BI systems to filter out useless data. BI is becoming part of our business world, and its usage is only expected to grow. According to Elizabeth Mazenko, the BI and analytics market will grow to $20 billion by 2019. It is clear businesses are switching to BI for their data needs. The question now becomes, how intelligent is your business?

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13 Jul

3 Reason Why Your Business Needs a Mobile-Friendly Website

Posted in Small Business Advertising, Synergy Suggestions on 13.07.16 by John Meloche

We’re living in an progressive technological period. Our technology has been advancing at such an exponential rate, we’re pretty much walking around with full powered computers in our pockets. That being said, these technological advances are surely to leave a mark in modern business operations. We’ve talked about the expansion of social commerce in detail. While that is certainly going to be a trend in the future, we also need to direct our attention to another line of E-commerce. Mobile commerce will become a staple in our business world (some would argue it already is) and will become our primary means of processing transactions. Here are 3 reasons why your business needs to develop a mobile-friendly website:

  1. Future Trends. We’ve discussed it already in the paragraph above. We are trending towards a mobile future. We’re already seeing a shift to mobile payments. According to eMarketer, the total value of mobile payments transactions in US will grow 210% in 2016. These numbers are only for 2016 alone. This trend is expected to continue as Statista predicts that global mobile payment revenue will exceed $1 trillion by 2019, compared to $450 million in 2015.
  2. Millennials. We mentioned how mobile payments are expected to grow in the future, well this is a pretty significant reason why. There is no group of people that spends more time on their phone than Millennials. There are literally people wandering the streets right now with their heads faced downward towards their phones, looking for Pokemon. Millennials are going to become the primary demographic soon. They will have the largest influence in the market. Meaning that the time spent on their phone will likely translate into the business world soon enough.
  3. It’s just the easier way to shop. Mobile commerce lets you do something that no other type of commerce offers: buy things on the go. It’s kind of like walking around with a portable store in your pocket. Not only that, but you can access stores of any variety. Rather it’s like a portable mall in your pocket. People are starting to realize they literally have an unlimited selection of products at their fingertips and are starting to take advantage of this.

Mobile commerce is becoming such a dominant payment method in our marketplace and it’s importance is only going to grow. Building a mobile-friendly site will let your business make a lot more money and remain competitive. Mobile payments are going to be such a huge factor in the future, and if your business doesn’t see that, then the future might not be so friendly to you.

 

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