WebProNews

Category: InfluencerMarketingPro

InfluencerMarketingPro

  • GaryVee: Everybody’s So Over-Leveraged They Don’t Have Businesses

    GaryVee: Everybody’s So Over-Leveraged They Don’t Have Businesses

    Gary Vaynerchuk says that startups are so over-leveraged that they don’t really have businesses, they have VC arbitrage machines for the next fundraising. He suggests to young VC funded entrepreneurs that they should realize this and actually build a business focused on profit, not just appeasing VC’s who have no vested interest in the business.

    Gary Vaynerchuk recently talked about building businesses with legendary Hollywood dealmaker Michael Ovitz at Summit.

    This is the Easiest Time to Run Your Own Company

    Running your own company is hard right? Well guess what, this is the easiest time to do it. The amount of fucking money that’s in the system and the amount of you that have bullshit businesses that actually aren’t businesses but are funded, being serious, this is something we have to talk about if you think it’s hard now.

    One of the things that I’m most proud of is that from the day I started running my dad’s business 20 plus years ago to this moment I’ve been running a company and I’ve never had a credit line that I took from Wine Library. I never raised capital. I have paid my bills weekly in perpetuity. I have never lost six million dollars this year and did all my behavior to get enough CAC an LTV to get the next fundraising round.

    Everybody’s So Over-Leveraged They Don’t Have Businesses

    You do understand that everybody’s about to get smoked the fuck out right? Everybody’s so over-leveraged they don’t have businesses, they have VC arbitrage machines for the next fundraising. I’ll see you all working at Bank of America in a couple of years. It’s a hundred percent true. Let me say this I’m not sitting up here like I’m cool and I’m razzing you. I’m hoping that that hits you in a way that says maybe I should actually build a business, not something that appeases the VC’s who have no vested interest in my business to get the next fundraising round. That’s how you’ll navigate the shit, you’ll be practical.

    One of the things I’m most fascinated by right now is there’s so much money in this system. If you follow where the money comes from that’s an interesting thing to debate in the first place, but let’s leave that for another day. I am fascinated by people thinking that not making more profit than expenses is not something you need to think about a lot more. I’m just watching people spend all their time on like you know influencer marketing and tack and M&A.

    Influencers Are Going to Have to Go Get a Job

    When the money dries out like they’re a lot of young people in the system. You didn’t live through 2007 as an operator, you were in college having fun. You didn’t live through 2001. We have never been this over-leveraged. When the dominoes fall and there’s no next fundraising round or when you’re an influencer and nobody’s got $8,000 for you to take a picture with a fucking toothpaste in your hand, it’s not gonna be fun to go from traveling the world as an influencer to no money in the system and you have to go get a job. I want people to be prepared and everyone’s living in la-la land. We’ve been living in la-la land for a decade which makes me nervous as fuck.

  • 5 Social Media Tactics You Need to STOP Using (And What You Should Do Instead)

    5 Social Media Tactics You Need to STOP Using (And What You Should Do Instead)

    These days, it seems like everybody is using social media. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t have a Facebook or Instagram account. Statistics have shown that there are now 2.2 billion social media users around the world, and the numbers are expected to reach 3 billion by 2020. With such a massive reach, it’s no wonder that every year more companies use social media as part of their marketing strategy.

    However, it’s not enough to have a social media account; you also need to use effective strategies to make them work. Unfortunately, a lot of companies are still behind the times and are using outdated tactics that may actually be doing them more harm than good.

    Are you guilty of any of these social media faux pas?

    1. Engaging Only When You Need Something

    Social media is a communication tool and the interaction goes two ways. Some brands look at social media strictly as a promotional tool and only post when they need something. But today’s consumers are pretty savvy and know when they’re being used so don’t expect this strategy to be well-received.

    Better Tactic:

    Engage your audience regularly. Ask questions. Join conversations and make sure you actually have something worthwhile to say. Don’t just show up, post a link, and then disappear. Personalizing your interactions with customers is time-consuming, but it’s a great way of engaging them and build a rapport.

    2. Using Too Many Hashtags

    Hashtags are great! They make your post easy to find on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Plus, it’s fun trying to come up with witty hashtags. What’s not fun is when hashtags are used excessively so stop if you’re guilty of this. An avalanche of hashtags makes you look desperate and spammy, especially if you’re hashtagging every adjective that comes to your mind even if they’re not relevant to your product (ex. #blue, #cool, #nice, #small).

    Better Tactic:

    Take the time to come up with an appropriate hashtag. Be deliberate in your description and ensure they’re relevant to your product. More importantly, make sure your post has more words than hashtags. This will ensure that your audience is focusing on your message and not on the #.

    3. Jumping on the Social Media Bandwagon

    Reacting to every trending topic is one social media trick that you need to let go. Some brands jump on a popular topic or meme simply to start a conversation or to appear relevant. If it doesn’t fit your demographic or brand then your audience doesn’t need to hear your thoughts about it. For instance, your post congratulating Prince Harry about becoming a father will fall flat when your main audience is in Southeast Asia.

    Better Tactic:

    If you are going to say something about a particular topic, make sure your post will bring something to the table. Ask yourself if what you’ll be sharing is relevant to the discussion, your brand and market. If not, then there’s no need to post that meme.

    4. Inappropriate Tagging of People or Companies

    Tagging is a great way of calling attention to your posts. But it doesn’t make sense to tag people or brands in promos or images when they’re not in it or have no clear connection to the post. This move is reminiscent to a mass email campaign. It’s obviously generic, sloppy, and just as irritating. It’s also quite rude to tag someone without making an effort to personalize the request or post.

    Better Tactic:

    You’ll have a higher chance of getting a brand to help you if you send a direct message or tag them in a separate post first. If the company or influencer is someone you have worked with in the past, then include their links in your post. For instance, you can thank the influencer for their article on your company and include the link. Then segue to your promo and call-to-action.

    5. Limiting Posts to the “Best Time”

    Studies have shown that there are best times to post on social media. However, these are calculated based on averages; on the times that the majority of users are active and engaged. But every demographic is different. What if your specific followers are not active during those reported “best times?”

    Better Tactic:

    Instead of relying on the aforementioned study, you should also conduct your own research. Utilize your social media tools and check when your audiences are really online. FB Insights will display this for your Page. There are also tools that will tell you when your Twitter followers are active. Experiment and post at different times and days. This will help you come up with your own unique pattern of engagement.

    Social media is a great marketing tool. However, a strategy that works for one brand might not work for another. So make sure that the tactics you use are relevant to your company and your market.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • How to get real followers for Instagram in 2018

    How to get real followers for Instagram in 2018

    With 25 million business profiles on Instagram, we’re living in a time where it is not enough to simply have a social media presence to get real followers on Instagram. You have to attract the right kind of Instagram users to gain that crucial social proof to help your brand stand out.

    This is a sponsored post

    Whether we like to admit it or not, you could have the best product in the world, but if you only have a few followers on Instagram people will immediately begin to discredit it.

    At the same time, your competitor could have a mediocre product, but be driving more sales than you because of the social validation they’ve gotten from their followers on Instagram.

    Don’t worry, we get it 💪

    Growing your account can feel like a tedious and time-consuming task. But with 60% of users finding products via Instagram, your brand simply CANNOT afford to ignore Instagram as a marketing channel. You need to attract the right Instagram users that are going to convert into more likes, comments, clicks, and most importantly, fans of your brand.

    Today, we’re breaking down the 7 crucial categories you need to focus on to simplify using Instagram for business and get real followers on Instagram in 2018. Here’s what we’ll cover:

     

    1. Optimizing Your Instagram Bio
    2. Creating Quality Instagram Content
    3. Crafting Instagram Captions
    4. How to Hashtag on Instagram
    5. Using Instagram Stories
    6. Instagram Giveaways
    7. Instagram Influencer Marketing

     

    1. Optimizing Your Instagram Bio

    First impressions are everything. When it comes to Instagram, impressions are made in two-tenths of a second. To grow your Instagram organically and gain the right kind of followers, your potential followers need to know exactly who you are, what you do, and why they should care.

    Your Instagram bio is the first thing people see when they land on your page, so make sure your bio section captures your visitors’ attention from the get-go. Do this right and you’ll be ahead of 95% of brands out there on IG.

    Here’s what you’ll want to include in your Instagram bio:

    Headline & Keyword

    Clearly state your brand name and then add a keyword that describes who you are. Adding a particular niche, job title, or interest to your headline helps your users get to know you and understand what you do.

    @Planoly uses the keywords “Planner for Insta” to clearly showcase their scheduler tool and drive traffic from anyone that might be searching for their type of service via the Instagram app.

     

    [su_quote style=”default” cite=”” url=”” class=””]The headline is also searchable, so make sure you choose a keyword that your followers would associate with your page to increase organic traffic.[/su_quote]

    Body section

    The body section is the bulk of your Instagram bio and should contain the majority of your description. Keep it clean and organized with a bullet point format, while clearly describing who you are in your brand’s voice.

    About you

    First, include a condensed version of your mission statement or company slogan to let people know what you’re all about. Remember, you’re limited to 150 characters here, so be short & precise.

    You can also add anything that gives your page some personality – like your location or a branded hashtag. (Don’t forget to throw in some 🔥🤩🌹)

    Call to action 📢

    Most importantly, include a call-to-action statement that entices your followers to click on the URL provided. Adding phrases like “Click below for 10% off” or “Check out our new arrivals” can help convert your followers into real customers.

     

    Entice the click

    Try adding some emojis like @Puravidabraceltets to really catch the eye of your followers and drive them to your link!

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Social proof

    Be sure to include a line that gives your page credibility. This can be a feature in a publication, a certification you’ve achieved, or a social cause your brand gives back to.

    The body section of @Sugarbearhair’s bio clearly states exactly what their product is, while speaking to their audience and showing social proof.

     

     

    URL

    This is the only section you have to place a link on Instagram, so use it wisely. Typically, you’ll want to provide a direct link to your website, blog, or specific landing page that coordinates with your call-to-action.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2. Creating Quality Instagram Content

     

     

    With now over one billion users, Instagram is THE visual platform. Every post you share on Instagram should be high-quality and complement your brand image. Never sacrifice quality for quantity (just save those for Instagram stories 😉).

    Nowadays however, it isn’t as simple as posting an “Insta-worthy” photo. Because new potential followers are going to get their first impression of your brand from your Instagram’s aesthetic, the quality of your individual posts have to reflect throughout your entire grid consistently.

    To get real followers on Instagram, keep these two key concepts in mind:

     

    Signature style

    First and foremost, your brand should be the focus of your page. Whether you are a business or an influencer, you’ll want to make sure that each and every image you post reflects the purpose of your page. Even one random image can ruin a grid.

    Once you pinpoint your focus, take your page to the next level by centralizing around a theme with at least one consistent element that links all of your photos together.

    “Engaging photos and video is absolutely essential on Instagram. Not only should your content be high quality but it should also communicate something interesting and important to you. When you create content that you are excited about you will naturally find an audience that is excited about it too.”

    Emma Chapman, Color Story Co-Founder

    Digital design kit and mobile application

     

     

     

    Filters

    Apply the same filter to all of your photos for a quick and easy way to create flow and cohesion. We love the apps A Color Story and VSCO.

    Color scheme

    Find a distinct color scheme that works for you and sprinkle it in throughout your grid.

    Is your brand bright and colorful? Minimalistic with lots of negative space? Outdoorsy with beautiful sceneries? Pick a style and consistently stick to it in every post.

     

     

     

     

    Variety of content

    With Instagram, you want to create a sense of community and lifestyle around your brand so that new followers can easily identify and picture themselves using what you have to offer. No one wants to look at a product catalog, so be sure to mix it up with both lifestyle and product photos!

     

    Creating Your Content

    Variety is KEY! You’ll want to create different types of photos like detail shots, flatlays, and lifestyle images to keep each post feeling new and exciting. Any opportunity you get to show your product on a model or in action, take it!

    Adding to Your Mix

    Once you have gathered all of your own original content, enhance your grid by cycling in stock photos, relatable quotes, and user-generated content. These can be a lifesaver for making your content last much longer, especially if you have a non-visual brand or service.

     

     

     

     

    Instagram is a platform for visual storytelling. Instead of trying to stand out, just be authentic. We shoot the photography in-house and hand-curate what we post; we don’t recycle content from our Facebook or Twitter feeds. Instagram should be its own, unique channel.

    Laura Casanova, VP, Creative at ONTRAPORT

    Business automation software

     

     

    Organizing Your Grid

    Ensure that all of your high-quality images will look #flawless together on your feed by using a scheduling app like Planoly or Later. These apps give you a preview of how all your photos will look before you post them! Mix and match until you get a well-balanced grid.

     

    Creating a cohesive Instagram brand is one of the best ways to attract your target audience and get more followers. Pre-planning your Instagram aesthetic with a visual Instagram planner like Later is key, it helps you make sure your feed flows by allowing you to see all of your upcoming content at-a-glance.

    Taylor Loren, Head of Marketing at Later

    A far-famed Instagram Posts Scheduler

     

     

     

    60 / 40 rule

    At least 60% of your grid should include your product or service directly. The other 40% can be lifestyle shots, stock images, or quotes that all speak to your community.

    @originalgrain built their community of “the travel seaking gentleman” by complimenting their product shots with scenic stock images and user generated content.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    3. Crafting Instagram Captions

     

     

    The money is made in the captions.

    Your Instagram captions should enhance your post by giving more context, value, and insight into what is happening beyond the image. Let your audience get to know your brand on a higher level.

    Rather than describing what is in the picture, try telling the story behind it, why is it you do what you do, or news regarding your brand.

     

    Brand Personality

    Show some personality behind those captions! The more your brand’s voice shines through, the easier it will be for your followers to connect with your post.

    Call-to-action

    Include some type of call-to-action to entice users to comment and get the conversation started! Comments are weighed heavily in the new Instagram algorithm, so the more comments the better.

    Try asking a question or having users tag a friend to get even more traffic and engagement back to your page.

    @Toneitup has the right idea! They speak to their fitness community in a laid-back, yet personal tone and ask users to tag a friend to join their workout.

     

     

    4. How to Hashtag on Instagram

    Instagram posts with at least one hashtag have 12.6% more engagement than those without.

    The best way to expand your reach on Instagram: HASHTAGS. We know hashtag research can seem a little daunting, but stick to these easy steps and you’ll have a perfect set of hashtags in no time!

    Brainstorm

    Think of words your customers would use to describe your product or service. Since they are the ones that will be searching these hashtags, it is important to get into the mind of your audience.

    Is there a certain community you are trying to tap into?

    Using hashtags like #brooklynlife or #mommystyle are great niche specific hashtags that will link you directly to your ideal target audience.

    If you’re really stuck, check out what your direct competitors are using to generate some ideas.

    Qualify

    The biggest mistake with hashtags is using ones that have way too much or far too little traffic. You’ll want to find hashtags that have about 4K-800K posts associated with them to get the optimal amount of exposure.

    The more specific a hashtag is to your industry the better. You want the hashtags to be big enough that people are actually searching for it, but not so big that your post will be lost in the clutter.

     

    Keep in mind that users can now follow a hashtags, similar to following a brand’s Instagram account, making hashtags even more essential to get real followers on Instagram.

     

    Store & Save

    Once you start compiling your qualified hashtags, break them up into 5-7 sets of about 10-20 niche specific tags. Store them in the note section of your phone for easy access and be sure to switch them out every so often.

    Post

    When it comes time to post, copy and paste your list of hashtags into the first comment of your image. This helps to keep your post looking clean while still tagging the picture and getting you more exposure. Although we recommend around 10-20, you can include up to 30 hashtags per post, so add a few more hashtags specific to this image and hit share. And that’s it! Easy enough, right?

     

    5. Using Instagram Stories

    Instagram Stories are quickly becoming one of the best marketing tools for brands. From behind the scenes check-ins to exclusive sales, you can use this feature to build brand identity and connect in real-time with updates beyond the scope of your IG Grid.

     

    Features

    Just like your Instagram grid, your IG stories should be cohesive with your brand imagery and voice, but with a “live view” feel. This is your chance to be sporadic and authentic with your followers. Since stories only stay up on your page for 24-hours, you have a little more wiggle room to play around with.

    Exposure

    Using the Stickers Feature, tag your story at a certain location or include a relevant hashtag. This allows your story to pop up on the corresponding explore page, giving you another opportunity to increase your story’s reach!

     

     

     

     

    @Socialstatic interacts with their followers by utilizing the question feature and maximizes exposure using the location sticker. Win-win!

     

    Highlights

    Instagram Highlights are collections of Stories that give new potential followers an idea of what your page is all about. Rather than disappearing after 24-hours, Highlights are saved right under your bio and act as a more interactive “about you” description.

    The possibilities for Instagram Highlights are truly endless, but some commonly used categories include: how it works, new products, and behind-the-scenes.

     

    Take it up a level by adding matching covers to all of your Instagram Highlights to ensure your page stays organized and on brand!

     

    Not much of a designer? Go to Fiverr.com and pay $5 for a professional designer to get your Instagram Highlights looking fresh.

     

    6. Instagram Giveaways

    Instagram accounts that hold contests can achieve 70% faster follower growth compared to those that don’t hold contests.

    Hosting an Instagram contest is a tried and true method to not only reward your loyal followers, but also gain exposure and get new real followers on Instagram.

    There is a lot of planning that goes into running a successful Instagram giveaway. You’ll want to consider things like budget, picking the right incentive, and most importantly the goal of your Instagram contest.

    If your goal is to grow your following with an Instagram giveaway, these are the four best entry methods.

    Comment-to-Win

    These contests require your followers to comment on your contest photo. Then, winners are chosen from the pool of commenters.

    To increase exposure, have the requirement be to tag a friend (or two) in their comment. Voila: double the Instagram exposure. You can even go as far as counting each tag as an entry, further incentivizing your followers to tag more friends for a better chance to win.

    Follow-to-Win

    For this type of contest, consider collaborating with another complimentary brand (or group of brands) in your niche. Contest participants can enter by following all of the accounts involved in the giveaway.

    Because your page will be exposed to the followers of the brands you are collaborating with, you’ll want to make sure you pick a brand that has your ideal target audience. This will help ensure that these new followers will have a genuine connection to your page and stick around long after your contest is over.

     

    Double up on a couple of tactics like @nenaandco to maximize engagement.

     

    Post to win

    Participants re-post a picture that you provide or share their own original content showcasing your brand to their feed. By sharing these pictures, your fans are grabbing the attention of their own followers to give you a mini-shoutout.

    This gives your followers a chance to get creative and gives you lots of free user-generated content.

    However, you’ll want to make sure you already receive high engagement on your page to confirm there is enough brand loyalty to ensure participation.

     

    “When you collect media via a contest you shouldn’t leave it sitting on Instagram for no-one to see. You can build a Gallery and embed it on your site so users can see the content and engage with it. This is more likely to drive sales of your products. Gleam offers a beautiful UGC Gallery app to allow you to do just this.”

    Stuart Mackeown, Gleam Co-Founder

    Business Growth Platform

     

    Remember this? In 2017, Sunny Clothing Co hosted a post-to-win contest where users had to repost this now infamous red bikini picture to receive a free swimsuit. Soon enough, everyone’s feed was flooded with this picture, which exponentially increased their brand awareness.

    Unfortunately, the brand received far more entries than expected and did not have enough inventory to handle the high volume of participants.

    Take Away: Post-to-win giveaways can do tremendous things for your brand awareness, but make sure you have the right requirements and are prepared to live up to your promise.

     

    Hashtag-to-Win

    Similar to post-to-win, participants post their own image or an image you provide on their feed, but also include a certain branded hashtag.

    While this can be the toughest type of giveaway to pull off, if the hashtag trends, the exposure can be pretty substantial. You’ll want to make sure you pick a unique hashtag specific to your contest, ideally centralized around your contest theme.

    Tracking the success of your giveaway is almost as important as the giveaway itself. Save yourself some time and get clear insights from Gleam’s Instagram contest tool that simplifies the entry process and make tracking participant an breeze.

     

    7. Instagram Influencer Marketing

    More than 90% of marketers who use an influencer marketing strategy today believe it’s effective for increasing customer engagement.

    Here’s our go-to-guide for how to find influencers:

    Set your budget

    Determine your budget and what level influencer you want to target. A general rate is $1,000 per 100,000 followers, but can vary depending on industry. If you have a lower budget, you may consider going after a micro-influencer who may have a bit of a smaller following, but who’s audience is very niche specific and value said influencer’s opinion highly.

    Define your niche

    Figure out who has a voice in the community. When in doubt, a simple Google search of the top Instagram accounts in your field can be a great place to start. Platforms like Famebit and Tribe Group help you discover and connect with influencers by interest or category.

    Qualify your list

    Once you have your list of prospective influencers, make sure they are going to be a good fit. Note how many followers they have, their average likes & comments, and what social platforms they are on to pick the best influencer to collaborate with.

     

    Build your community

    Engage with their content so they are familiar with your name. Once a bit of a relationship is established, reach out with a genuine message that states why you both would work well together.

    And that’s it! Seven easy steps to optimize your business’ Instagram account for growth. Implement even just a few of these tips and you’ll be well on your way to getting more real followers on Instagram and becoming an Instagram marketing expert.

    For more daily marketing tips, be sure to follow us on Instagram @Kicksta.co.

  • Pinterest Opens Up to Third Party Influencers

    Pinterest Opens Up to Third Party Influencers

    Pinterest recently announced that its giving third-party influencers access to its API. While influencer marketing is not new to the social media platform, opening its content marketing API provides brands, influencers, and marketers a chance to work more closely.

    The move is part of Pinterest’s expanding Marketing Partners program. The company is adding a total of eight marketing platforms – AspirelQ, HYPR, Influence.co, IZEA, Klear, Mavrck, Obvious.ly, and Open Influence.

    The company explained in a blog post that they’re “opening our content marketing API to third-party influencer marketing platforms to help brands and influencers collaborate more effectively and create exciting new things on Pinterest.”

    David Temple, the head of Pinterest’s content and creator products, said that creators are vital to the company so they’re excited to be able to supply them with more tools and resources for them to utilize as they develop strong relationships with various businesses.

    Aside from connecting brands to influencers, the API will provide Pinterest’s partners with key performance metrics regarding influencer campaigns. It will also give insights into click-throughs, impressions, monthly views, and saves. More importantly, it will give companies a better chance at understanding how content developers can boost engagement and drive traffic to the app. This will go a long way in helping companies design their marketing campaigns so that they will deliver a healthy return on investment.

    The lack of data has been a large stumbling block in working with influencers. While companies can get a baseline, it’s labor-intensive and time-consuming. By giving access to its API, Pinterest has given companies much-needed information. It’s also a strategic move on the company’s part as it opens them up to higher ad spending from marketers.

    Eric Lam, AspirelQ CEO, revealed that it has also gotten very challenging for brands to attract consumer attention, making it imperative for brands “to connect with consumers using the right message, at the right time, through the right channel.” Partnering with Pinterest gives brands another channel and more opportunities to engage clients in a personalized and meaningful manner.

    Opportunities is the perfect word to use here. Pinterest is in a class all by itself; its Pins can drive customer engagement for more than 120 days. That’s in direct contrast to posts that can only be seen on certain platforms for a single day.

    Brands and content developers can find more information about Pinterest’s marketing API on the site’s Marketing Partners site or by emailing pmp-partnerships@pinterest.com

    [Featured image via Pinterest]

  • Should You Trust Influencers to Promote Your Brand? Consider These Problems First

    Should You Trust Influencers to Promote Your Brand? Consider These Problems First

    Influencer marketing is drawing more and more suspicion from brands and advertisers alike. There is a growing concern in some business sectors that consumer trust in influencers is waning or has reached its peak. Empirical data, however, shows that influencers still have a lot of pull. They can still raise brand awareness, push customer loyalty, and boost engagement. One study by Marvrck also shows that cost per acquisition (CPA) was also far lower with influencer marketing compared to other types of advertising like Facebook ads.

    cost per acquisition

    While there’s no denying that influencer marketing works, it has a lot of issues that have resulted in brands having a general lack of trust for influencers.

    4 Reasons Why Brands Don’t Trust Influencer Marketing

    1. Hard to Measure ROI

    The majority of brands find that choosing the right metrics to use and measuring return on investment are the main challenges they face when it comes to influencer marketing.

    Every marketing campaign should be based on measurable objectives, like an increase in revenue, higher brand awareness, or more social media followers. You need to determine your objective first. Once that’s done, you can then identify how you will track your KPIs and evaluate how the content or an influencer has performed.

    Luckily, most of the tools used in tracking conventional and digital marketing are also appropriate for influencer marketing. For instance, tools like Google Analytics, promo codes, giveaways, vanity URLs, and UTM parameters can all be used to measure the results of an influencer marketing campaign. Social media platforms like Pinterest are also taking steps in this direction by giving access to their APIs to ensure that influencers and marketers can work well together.

    2. Fake Followers and Fake Accounts

    Fake followers and fraudulent accounts are also behind the mistrust of influencers. According to a New York Times report, this practice is so rampant that about 15 percent of Twitter profiles are fakes and many celebrities and influencers buy followers to inflate their perceived social influence.

    Image result for fake followers statistics

    Too often, brands look for influencers with the largest number of followers and pay big money for access to them. So it’s not surprising that some influencers pad their numbers with fake accounts. Unfortunately, the practice messes up one crucial element of this marketing method—influencing another individual. After all, you can’t wield your influence over an imaginary person.

    To combat this problem, brands should focus more on quality than quantity. Instead of looking at the numbers, they should concentrate on the kind of consumers that follow the influencer, and whether said influencer is suitable for the brand. Social media platforms should also put more effort into cracking down on dubious accounts. 

    More importantly, the influencers should hold themselves accountable and check for fake followers, even if it means they have to scroll through their list of followers and vet each one.

    3. A Million Followers Doesn’t Mean More Profit

    A social media account might have tens of thousands of followers but not have much influence. There are people who are influential in one area but not in another. For instance, an account that specializes in memes might have a million followers but those followers are not there to buy anything. They just follow the account for its entertainment value.

    Brands should first determine whether an influencer is considered trustworthy by their followers or just a digital performer. The former has an impact on a follower’s buying decision while the latter doesn’t. Companies can tell which is which by their posts. Consumers respond to honesty and passion, and a good influencer shows these in their posts.

    4. Competition Between Influencers and Marketers

    If your brand has a marketing team, they may view influencers as a direct threat. This implied threat is due to the fact that influencers work in direct competition with traditional marketing strategies. Moreover, a lot of marketers don’t totally trust social influencers with regards to content development.

    To get past this problem, you’ll need to understand how influencer marketing actually works. Influencers have to be authentic and strive to show this in the tone and passion of their posts. In contrast, your marketers need to double check everything or have some say in the content creation process. You’ll need to find a good compromise between the two groups to prevent conflict.

    Should Brands Still Trust Influencers?

    Many consumers have relationships with influencers that are more like friendships. And according to Neilsen, 92 percent of consumers trust the recommendations of family and friends. For this reason, influencers still have the power to greatly impact a brand. However, the problems that come with influencer marketing have gone largely unresolved.

    Part of the problem is that these issues have only recently come to the forefront, so best practices have not yet been established. Brands and influencers are still learning and adjusting. 

    Moving foward, more influencers will need to audit their followers and check for fake accounts. Branded content should merge well with integrated content, and sponsored posts should be kept to a minimum. Meanwhile, it’s imperative for brands to thoroughly research their potential partners, making sure they only work with credible influencers and choose the right platforms to promote their products and services.

  • Pinterest Opens Up to Third-Party Influencers, Good News for Brands

    Pinterest Opens Up to Third-Party Influencers, Good News for Brands

    Pinterest recently announced that it will be giving third-party influencers access to its API. The move gives brands, influencers, and marketers a chance to collaborate more closely.

    The company also said it would be adding a total of eight marketing platforms as part of its expanding Marketing Partners program. These include AspirelQ, HYPR, Influence.co, IZEA, Klear, Mavrck, Obvious.ly, and Open Influence.

    The new development was announced on its blog post last Tuesday.

    Starting today, we’re opening our content marketing API to third-party influencer marketing platforms to help brands and influencers collaborate more effectively and create exciting new things on Pinterest.”

    David Temple, the head of Pinterest’s content and creator products, said that creators are vital to the company so they’re excited to be able to supply them with more tools and resources as they develop strong relationships with various businesses.

    Aside from connecting brands to influencers, the API will provide Pinterest’s partners with key performance metrics regarding influencer campaigns. It will also give insights into click-throughs, impressions, monthly views, and saves. More importantly, it will give companies a better chance at understanding how content developers can boost engagement and drive traffic to the app. This will go a long way in helping companies design their marketing campaigns for improved return on investment.

    The lack of data has been a large stumbling block in working with influencers. While companies can get a baseline, it’s labor-intensive and time-consuming. By giving access to its API, Pinterest has given companies much-needed information. It’s also a strategic move on the company’s part as it opens them up to higher ad spending from marketers.

    Eric Lam, AspirelQ CEO, revealed that it has also gotten very challenging for brands to attract consumer attention, making it imperative for them “to connect with consumers using the right message, at the right time, through the right channel.” Partnering with Pinterest gives brands another channel and more opportunities to engage clients in a personalized and meaningful manner.

    Brands and content developers can find more information about Pinterest’s marketing API on the site’s Marketing Partners site or by emailing pmp-partnerships@pinterest.com

    [Featured image via Pinterest]

  • 4 Inbound Marketing Tactics to Use for Your B2B Company

    4 Inbound Marketing Tactics to Use for Your B2B Company

    According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, eight out of 10 Americans now shop online. This means that the traditional ways of marketing—cold calls, trade shows, TV, radio—are not as effective as they used to be. In fact, more companies are now turning to inbound marketing to generate leads and close deals.

    To stay ahead of your competition, it’s now essential to have a good inbound marketing strategy in place. Here are four B2B marketing tactics you should be using right now:

    1. Create and Curate

    Useful and well-written content is a powerful weapon in B2B marketing. Posting long-format articles and discussing issues more deeply attracts more visits to your website and leads to higher conversions. A study by Moz showed a distinct correlation between social shares and content length. 

     

    According to the data, readers love this type of content and are more likely to share it.

    You should also post articles to your blog more frequently. A Hubspot report showed that businesses that blogged 10 or more times a month enjoyed three times more traffic than those that blog only once a month.

    And, you can continue to reap the benefits of your old blog posts for years to come. Assuming that they’re good, consider repurposing older posts to generate more organic traffic by sending the content to your email list or posting them on social media.

    However, creating good content takes time and effort, and sometimes a company might not have enough manpower to handle this. No need to worry, though, as curating content will work just fine. It’s a strategy that some marketers have used very effectively. Content curation involves sourcing content that is already on the web and organizing it in a meaningful way for your audience. Curating helps add new content to your site, builds value, converts readers, and helps generate traffic.

    2. Collaborate With People Who Matter

    Connecting and collaborating with experts and influencers creates more opportunities for your brand to be shared with a bigger market. 

    Look for authorities or influencers in your niche and reach out to them. Discuss how working together will benefit all parties involved. Invite an influencer to host a podcast, write a guest blog or take over your social media page for a day. This will add more quality content to your site and boost awareness of your brand.

    3. Get Video Ready

    Scientific research shows that most people process the information they see 60,000 times faster than what they read. So it’s a good idea to incorporate videos and eye-catching graphics in your marketing strategy.

    In 2017, video became the most popular type of content on social media, and the demand for it will only continue to rise among consumers. Because of this, more companies are using the medium to showcase their product, disseminate information, teach consumers, and reach prospective clients. 

    Image result for video most popular type of content on social media 2017

    Don’t forget other visuals like infographics and slides. Infographics have become popular over the last few years because they are an effective way of communicating a lot of data within a short time. These visuals are also easy to share and can be used to recycle your content and make them fresh and engaging.

    4. Improve Your Site’s Speed and Load Time

    A fast website is crucial for any business. People prefer sites that have a quick loading time. Studies have shown that consumers are only willing to wait three seconds for a page to load. Any slower and they are highly likely to abandon the site and search elsewhere. Plus, Google also takes into account the site’s speed in their rankings. So if you want to keep your visitors and rank high in search engines, make sure your website is optimized for speed.

    Consumers today know what they want and how to get it. If you want to capture their attention, you have to step up your inbound marketing game. Adding visuals and writing longer posts are simple tactics but they can go a long way in generating leads and traffic.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • 4 Snapchat Marketing Tips to Help You Rise Above Your Competition

    4 Snapchat Marketing Tips to Help You Rise Above Your Competition

    Compared to the larger social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, Snapchat is a bit like The Little Engine That Could. That’s because it’s been underestimated by numerous brands and marketers alike. They dismiss Snapchat as a viable advertising tool because of its reputation for being a purely social platform, used mostly by teenagers and young adults. But the image-sharing app has the potential to generate leads and keep profits rolling in.

    In the first quarter of 2018, Snapchat reported 191 million active daily users—that’s a lot of potential customers. One survey also showed that 86 percent of the platform’s users fall into the 13 to 37 age group and more than seven billion videos were viewed on it daily in 2016.

    Image result for snapchat number of users 2018

    Despite these numbers, businesses are still not overly fond of Snapchat. A Clutch and Smart Insights study found that only 21 percent of businesses have Snapchat accounts. Compare that to the 89 percent of companies that are on Facebook, 80 percent on Twitter, and 56 percent on Instagram.

    The Social Media Platforms Businesses Value

    But this means that brands have fewer rivals and more room to maneuver on Snapchat. The platform is also evolving continuously, changing its user interface, featuring Stories for up to 24 hours, and adding eCommerce features. It’s also gaining popularity among older users as the teens who started using Snapchat when it launched in 2011 are becoming working adults.

    Savvy marketers know that Snapchat can be a powerful tool for rising above the competition. Here are four tips to help you tap into the benefits of Snapchat:

    1. Concentrate on a Younger Audience

    Snapchat developer Snap Inc. designed the multimedia messaging app for teenagers. Recent data has shown that the company is doing a great job of keeping their young demographic engaged. A Pew Research Center study revealed that 78 percent of the respondents between 18 to 24-years-old are using the app. Meanwhile, only 45 percent of the same demographic use Twitter.

    You can leave your competition in the dust by learning how to catch the attention of younger consumers. While a carefully worded call-to-action can be effective, creating an intriguing story or using entertaining filters in your Snap can exceedingly better. 

    In 2016, Taco Bell rolled out a comical Snap filter that turned the user’s head into a giant taco. The Cinco de Mayo promotion generated a whopping 224 million views. Now, image how that type of attention could change your business.

    Best Brands On Snapchat Taco Bell

    2. Launch Products and Push Promos

    Snapchat has a high engagement rate. As a matter of fact, it gets almost 4 times higher engagement than Instagram. This makes it a great place to launch your latest products or to push promos. Makeup brand NARS launched their new product line to great success on the platform. The company drummed up excitement by giving followers a quick look at their new line. Snapchat allows you to create short, informal videos that look unpolished but relatable to more users.

    Image result for NARS product line snapchat

    Image result for NARS product line snapchat

    3. Collaborate With Influencers

    Influencer marketing is a very effective strategy. Companies can draw in a big audience because their content will be viewed by followers of the brand and that of the influencer. It’s a quick way of develop a large following in a short amount of time.

    One company who successfully leveraged an influencer’s popularity was Audi. The car manufacturer partnered up with the popular show Pretty Little Liars and quickly amassed 115,000 followers on its Snapchat account.

    Image result for audi pretty little liars snapchat

    You can also have an influencer take over your Snapchat account and make posts on your behalf for a specific time frame. For instance, music producer Pharrell once took over one of the Adidas events.

    4. Keep Followers Interested Longer

    Snapchat is all about drawing people in and engaging them. You’ll have better sales results the longer people stay on your page or account. Other social network platforms keep followers engaged by having them take additional steps, like clicking on a link to send them to another website.

    Image result for snapchat ecommerce

    Snapchat keeps followers interested much longer because they have integrated eCommerce features in the app itself. For instance, users can use the app to call people, make dinner reservations, grab an Uber, or explore brands and their locations.

    With its impressively high engagement levels, business-friendly features and low competition from other brands, incorporating Snapchat into your marketing strategy could prove to be a worthwhile investment. 

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Experiential Advertising – Where Live Advertising is Exploding

    Experiential Advertising – Where Live Advertising is Exploding

    Experiential advertising is the talk of the advertising industry because it combines search, social, and digital with the human senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch in order to form marketing connections organically. It’s thought that these organic connections will create memorable and impactful experiences that will build true brand loyalty that won’t easily be forgotten.

    Recently, Layne Braunstein, founder of Fake Love, a New York Times owned advertising agency, gave a Tedx talk on experiential advertising.

    How does defining experiences relate to advertising?

    There’s a lot of talk all over advertising that advertising is dead as we know it. And that’s true, dead advertising is dead but live advertising is exploding, and it’s called experiential.

    With traditional advertising, what a brand is basically doing is telling you, I want you to feel a certain way and I want you to buy my product. That’s a very passive and forgettable experience when you consider that advertising has the ability to change the world forever. In today’s new world of advertising, brands want to be influenced by you, and that is a big deal and super important.

    How do we engage with the users and consumers of today?

    First of all, you can’t look at people as consumers or users, you have to look at them as humans. Experiential to me is environmental to human design. What that means is that you walk into a space, that space curates itself and is a beautiful back and forth between you and it.

    Experiential is not a medium but a belief. It’s a belief that when you walk into one of those experiences you will get emotionally connected to that experience and your life will be forever changed, and that’s a big deal. That is something that brands and advertisers have been trying to do for a really long time. That’s why experiential will be forever agile and I say this a lot, but it’s the last bastion of advertising.

    What Makes an awesome experiential campaign?

    1. Active, Not Passive Engagement – An example of this is going to an event and there’s a bar with some influencers there, some local fashion designers putting some stuff on the wall and there are some cool 80’s movies projected on the wall also. That’s a pretty cool event, but it’s just an event. But if you go to an event and there are some influencers at the bar and they want to play some cool video games with you to create some custom cocktails and then you walk up to some local fashion designers and they each give you a spray can and then you and the fashion designers spray paint all of the clothes and you get to take them home with you and then when you look at 80’s movies projected on the wall you see your face instantly in all of them, that’s experiential — and it’s super cool.
    2. It Has To Be Live – Simply put, if you go to a music concert it’s probably pretty fun but it’s just music. But if you go to a music concert and there’s haptics on the floor and there’s scent in the audience and there’s a generator of live visuals based on the music, that’s experiential.
    3. An Experience Has To Be Multi-Sensory – What that means is it hits all of your senses. It hits sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

    What Does This Look Like In Real Life?

    As a whole, an active live multi-sensory engagement creates the most honest and memorable experience of them all. Here are some experiential advertising projects that we (Fake Love) did:

    Google and Coke:

    This is a project we did for Google and Coke where basically you can send a free coke and a video message to a stranger anywhere in the world.

    Lexus:

    Through a secret Facebook contest, you got sent through a secret hangar in Italy where you got to play a real-life video game with an F1 race car driver in real time.

    Levi’s:

    You got to collaborate in real-time with musicians and artists using hacked instruments and tools on a train traveling across the country.

    7UP:

    We created a multi-sensory concert for deaf kids. When they showed up they were super surprised. We had the top DJ in the world Martin Garrix playing, and I remember one of them saying that this is changing my life forever.

    New York Times, 20th Century Fox and IBM:

    We created an augmented reality experience where we took NASA scientists that were overlooked by history and we placed them in your phone, and you could place them in augmented life anywhere in the world. This is a really powerful experience that we did last year, and it works.

     

    True Brand Love

    What you are seeing below are real-life social posts from the experiences above as well as other experiences that I’ve worked on over the years. This is true brand love, and that’s something that brands and advertisers have been striving to attain for decades.

    We are in an age of experience here and it’s here to stay. Brands want you to help build world’s and they want you to help build it.

    Tedx Talk Video

  • 4 Key Steps for Growing an Email List Fast

    4 Key Steps for Growing an Email List Fast

    Email marketing might seem old-fashioned now that social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all the rage. However, the email is still one of the best forms of communication and can give your business a big boost in terms of sales and referrals. In fact, research by Smart insight and GetResponse showed that marketers rated email marketing as the most effective channel for promoting a business.

    introduction-channel-benchmarks-2017

    [Graphic via SmartInsights]

    However, you shouldn’t just send emails to random people. You want to build a high-quality list that targets people who are interested in your offering. Here are four ways to do this fast:

    1. Use an Opt-in With a Simple Design

    They say if you want something, ask for it. This is actually one of the best and simplest ways to build your email list – request prospective clients to join. You’ll also have a better chance of convincing people if you keep your opt-in page simple. Avoid loud, confusing colors or too many bells and whistles. It’s also best if you only ask for basic information. People don’t like filling our tedious and complicated forms. According to Quick Sprout, opt-in forms with just three fields or less have about a 25 percent conversion rate while those with more fields only managed 15 percent.

    2. Display Your Opt-in Forms Strategically

    The most common places to display your opt-in forms include pop-ups, welcome mats, feature boxes, sidebars, or sidebar sliders. 

    While these locations still work well for capturing emails, their overuse has led to “opt-in blindness” whereby an increasing number of consumers simply ignore the opt-in or click away from it. It’s now more effective to strategically time your pop-ups and show them once the prospect has had a chance to peruse your site.

    Placing the form in the header is also a good location, as it is unintrusive and yields good conversions. You can also try displaying them below your articles, below the comment boxes, in the archives section, or even on your 404 error pages.

    OptinMonster best 404 page ever

    [Graphic via OptinMonster]

    3. Offer Your Prospect Something Irresistible

    Recent market research revealed that 269 billion emails are sent to consumers’ inboxes daily and the number will continue to grow. So how are you going to capture their attention and grow your mailing list? You channel your inner Don Corleone and make them an offer they can’t refuse.

    Give your prospects something of value in exchange for their email address. For example, you can give the subscriber 30 percent off on their first order or send them an e-book. Tailor your offers to reflect the values you share with your customers. A discount shows your company understands the value of saving your hard-earned money while an e-book or a free course proves you’re committed to helping them solve problems.

    4. Incentivize Customer Referrals

    Another way to build your email list is through customer referrals. People want social proof about brands. They want to know that thousands of people before them have already tried your product and were satisfied. If you can convince your customer to refer their family and friends, then your email subscriptions can grow by leaps and bounds. Do this by incentivizing referrals. Take the case of online payment service TranferWise.com. They offer their customers £50 for referring three friends and also offer the friends a free money transfer of up to £500. This simple tactic has allowed them to grow considerably within the past few years.

    [Image via TransferWise.com]

    To Wrap it Up…

    There are other strategies you can utilize to grow your email list, like partnering with influencers, conducting webinars, or dropping the name of an authority in the field. However, these four suggestions are the best ways to boost your subscription numbers fast. They are easy to implement and take into consideration human behavior. Try them out and start building a quality mailing list.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • 7 Local Marketing Tips to Help You Make More Sales

    7 Local Marketing Tips to Help You Make More Sales

    Most small businesses want to spread the word about their product or service to as many people as possible. But after covering the cost of inventory, employee wages, utilities, taxes, and a host of other expenses, many of these businesses simply don’t have enough money left over to launch widespread advertising campaigns. The good news is…even if you’re running a business on a tight budget, you can still afford effective advertising; you’ll just need to think local.

    Local marketing, or location-based marketing, is the process of optimizing your company’s website and online presence to drive traffic to localized areas. This is particularly useful now that Google’s algorithm utilizes location in its search results. People looking for goods and services online get results for nearby businesses relevant to their search request. This is a highly targeted, low-cost way for businesess—big and small—to reach customers.

    7 Ways to Increase Your Revenue With Local Marketing

    1. Optimize Your Website for Mobile

    Small businesses need to capture the attention of mobile searchers. Increase the odds of converting these leads by optimizing your website for mobile so that whatever screen your site is accessed on, it will still be displayed seamlessly.

    2. Get Your Business Listed

    One of the first things you can do for your small business is to get listed on Google’s My Business or Facebook. Doing this will enable you to update and manage critical information like your business address, contact details, opening hours, and images.

    3. Build Bridges With Local Businesses

    Align yourself with an established shop in the area and come to a mutual marketing agreement. For instance, a consultancy group could offer a discount on one of its seminars to the top clients of a local accounting firm. Working with these businesses enhance your credibility and gives prospective clients a chance to learn more about your company.

    4. Secure Testimonials

    A lot of people rely on online reviews when they’re trying to assess whether a business is trustworthy. Try to secure a testimonial from a resident since it will carry more weight, especially if it’s from someone known in the area.

    5. Use Social Media to Engage With the Locals

    Social media has made connecting with people so easy. You can integrate platforms like Facebook or Instagram into your customer service and outreach efforts. For instance, you could use hyper-local keywords in your posts or hashtags to establish your current location or put the focus on local stores that you have partnered with.

    6. Work With Local Publications

    Work with local publications to engender more face time with the area’s residents. Find a publication that ties up with your product or business model. Check if they’re looking for ad placements or even guest blog writers. You can even ask them if they can do a write-up about your company.

    7. Sponsor a Community or Charity Event

    Sponsoring an event is an effective way to utilize one of the most fundamental advertising tactics—putting your name on something. Consider sponsoring a neighborhood team or donating to a known charity in exchange for putting your brand’s name on the marquee or t-shirts from the event. You’ll be giving money to a good cause while ensuring that your company’s name is seen by a captive market.

    A local marketing strategy can be an effective way to generate sales for your small business without spending too much. Get your brand noticed by interacting with the community, whether it’s through local influencer, partnering with an established shop, or sponsoring an event.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Can’t Tell if Your Social Media Campaign is Really Working? Here’s What You Need to Know

    Can’t Tell if Your Social Media Campaign is Really Working? Here’s What You Need to Know

    The number of companies integrating social media into their marketing campaigns has been growing steadily over the past decade. Some businesses even rely solely on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote their goods and services. However, measuring the impact these campaigns have on their business remains a challenge.

    A 2015 CMO survey underlined this difficulty, with only 15 percent of participating marketers being able to quantitatively measure the effectiveness of their social media marketing plans. Meanwhile, a recent MDG Advertising infographic shows that not much has changed with regards to measuring the effectivity of social media marketing and its impact on a company’s ROI.

    According to the accompanying MDG report, only 20 percent of companies said they were able to determine the success of their social media campaigns while 44 percent could not determine social media’s impact on their business. This problem also affects marketing agencies, with 28 percent facing challenges in measuring the effectivity of social media. However, 55 percent of said agencies claim they could somewhat determine the ROI generated by social media while a mere 17 percent could accurately measure it.

    [Graphic via mdgadvertising.com]

    Challenges of Measuring Social Media Campaigns

    Because social media is a relatively new (and constantly evolving) marketing channel, measuring its true impact of ROI remains a conundrum for many businesses. What’s more, a lot of companies remain unsure of social media’s place in the big picture.

    There are other reasons why measuring social media impact remains complicated.

    • Businesses Have Different KPIs: Brands have their own goals, values, and propositions and the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) they want to measure depend on these. However, KPIs can change depending on the direction the company wants to take. This makes it hard to set specific metrics and data points.
    • Data is Limited: Each social media platform has its own set of analytics. Some tools engage followers while others show demographic information. It would also require companies to do a lot of mining just to put everything together.
    • Qualitative Results are Hard to See: It’s easy to see quantitative results such as the numbers of comments, likes, and shares. But the more important question is the kind of action consumers are actually taking — the qualitative results. For instance, are they buying products or just sharing content?
    • Business Impact is Hard to Determine: ROIs are about returns and investments. Even if companies are able to tie their social media campaigns to their KPIs and business goals, most remain confused as to what it means for their bottom line. Companies would have to consider the number of people working on social media accounts and their salaries, social media software, and advertising costs and compare them against KPIs.

    Best Ways to Check Effectiveness of Social Media Drive

    Despite the ambiguity, social media does have a positive influence on a company’s sales and revenue. The question now is how to measure and quantify this impact. Knowing the following metrics of your campaigns can help you measure their effectiveness:

    • Click-Through Rate: While click-throughs are a key metric, companies should do more than just track clicks. They should also focus on metrics geared towards specifically designed landing pages and content. Companies should also look at click-throughs in relation to bounce rates. High bounce rates imply that the site’s content is not delivering on the call-to-action or headline’s promise.
    • Conversions: Whether it’s a sign-up, filling out a form, or an online sale, companies should have a goal when it comes to conversions, especially when creating paid ads. This is significant as it provides direct ROI numbers. Conversions are also relatively easy to track. Some companies utilize lead generation forms while others opt for pixel codes.
    • Engagement: This metric is more than just the volume of likes a page or post has since it doesn’t give a clear indication of commitment. A meaningful engagement that results in brand awareness, product interest or sales are the best testaments to the impact of social media activity. Companies should put real effort into having a dialogue with their audience and influencers.
    • Traffic: Identifying the actual value of traffic is about checking the share of driven traffic and the actions generated by click-throughs. Tools like Google Analytics makes tracking the impact of social media on site traffic simpler. Companies should look more closely at how much of the site traffic was driven by social media since this will provide you with concrete numbers that you can work with.

    Remember, you can’t market what you can’t measure (at least not effectively). So, before you run a social media campaign, be sure to set up adequate analytic tools that measure the data that correlates with the outcome you desire. For many businesses, picking the right tools and correctly assessing the data they collect comes with a learning curve. However, once you get past that hurdle, you can use the data to grow your business by leaps and bounds.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • 7 Tips for Growing Your Following on Instagram With Hashtags

    7 Tips for Growing Your Following on Instagram With Hashtags

    With about 500 million daily active users on its platform, Instagram has become one of the indispensable marketing tools for small business owners. However, organic reach is increasingly difficult to achieve with the platform’s algorithmic-based feed. So, how do you compete against louder, bigger brands and deliver content to your target audience? The answer:  use effective hashtags.  

    Aside from photos, hashtags are another key element to using Instagram. They organize content to make it more discoverable and spur engagement from a target audience. Instagram even launched a feature that allows users to follow hashtags in keeping up with the latest posts. By using the right tactics, hashtags can grow your following and expand your reach within the platform.

    1. Search for the Right Hashtags

    Begin with a quick search for niche-specific keywords on Instagram. Similar or related phrases often crop up as you type in the search box, so consider these as your potential hashtags. Find relevant tags that your target audience will likely search for. You can also use third-party tools to extract popular hashtags that competitors and social media influencers use frequently.  

    2. Use Location Tags to Build Local Awareness

    This strategy is a good way to connect with other community members and gain exposure. Users often enjoy supporting local businesses, so using community-oriented tags can drive engagement with your brand. Moreover, they are likely to discover upcoming events within the vicinity through Instagram.

    3. Match Hashtags With Relevant Photos

    Good images will reel in an audience, so make sure your photo goes well with your caption and hashtags. Search results on Instagram are displayed in a grid. Pay attention to the photos and their similarities to each other. Study how your image can stand out while remaining relevant to the keywords.

    4. Jump on the Bandwagon

    Another way can grow your audience is by using trending hashtags. Aligning your content with a trending topic or event, say a holiday, can improve discoverability and reach. Mark your calendar for upcoming events to prepare relevant content in advance.

    5. Change Up Your Hashtags

    You may feel satisfied with using the same hashtags in every post, especially if you discovered ones that users consistently engage with. There’s a chance, however, that they have already seen and ignored your content. Using other keywords, on the other hand, lets you reach other users who might’ve never heard of you before.

    6. Focus on Less Popular Tags

    Using hashtags with fewer posts can mean that there is less competition in capturing the users’ attention for your content. With specific, targeted keywords, you’re more likely to tap into your intended audience and improve visibility.

    7. Come Up With Creative Hashtags

    Having creative hashtags is another way to add personality and voice to your brand. People often notice cheeky and witty catchphrases that can spark lively discussions about the message. That’s why companies often concoct hashtags that contain brand names to give them a distinct edge and identity over competitors. Sometimes, it encourages sharing and engagement from your followers.

    Growing your Instagram following with hashtags shouldn’t stop there. To keep audience engagement and maintain your online presence, track and analyze the performance of your posts and take time to identify the most engaged hashtags. Follow the seven tips listed above, and watch your Instagram following grow.

  • Growing Number of Millennials and Gen Z’ers are Quitting Social Media According to New Research

    Growing Number of Millennials and Gen Z’ers are Quitting Social Media According to New Research

    Millennials and those in Generation Z are the most avid users of social media. Almost everyone in these demographics has one or more social media accounts. So the news that an increasing number of people from these two groups are quitting social media is surprising to many marketers.

    Millennials are known for their affinity for technology and communications. The same could be said for Generation Z, or those born around the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. Also dubbed the Linkster Generation for always being linked to social media, they have grown alongside the Internet and are very comfortable with it.

    However, a recent survey revealed that millennials and linksters are either taking a break from social media or deleting their accounts altogether. It also appears that Facebook and Twitter are bearing the brunt of the exodus. But surprisingly, SnapChat is still going strong.

    Why Are They Leaving?

    According to Origin, a Boston-based market research group, 34 percent of Gen Z’ers are saying goodbye to social media while 64 percent have decided to take a break from it.

    The respondents in their survey also shared what was motivating them to give up on social media. Forty-one percent said they were wasting too much time on these platforms while 31 percent admitted they weren’t using them often. Meanwhile, 35 percent said the negativity on the platforms was too much while 26 percent found the content uninteresting.

    The in-house research department of Hill Holliday also unveiled some interesting results. For instance, social media platforms caused 41 percent of the more 1,000 respondents to feel sad, depressed, or nervous, but 77 percent also said there are more pros than cons to having accounts on these platforms. Among the people surveyed, 22 percent said social media made them feel like they were missing out while 71 percent said they felt closer to their friends. It’s a clear case of “I can’t live with you but I can’t live without you.”

    Where are They Going?

    Technically, they are not going anywhere. At least, they’re not rushing to open an account on another social media platform. Millennials seem to have lost interest in social media for the aforementioned reasons while Gen Z’ers are more inclined to just take a step back from it.

    Twitter, Facebook and sister company Instagram have been struggling to retain their numbers recently. According to eMarketer, over 2 million users will turn their backs on Facebook in 2018. However, the decline will come mostly from teenagers as Facebook steadily loses its cool factor among this group. Instagram has also seen a recent downturn in engagement numbers. 

    Interestingly, Snapchat is still doing well. Only one in every five users of the picture-oriented app has left permanently.

    What Does it Mean for Businesses?

    It’s understandable that the news that millennials and Gen Z’ers are quitting social media raises concerns for businesspeople. After all, these are the two market segments that rely heavily on influencers and reviews they read on social media when making a purchase.

    The fact that most of Gen Z consumers are just putting their social media life on hold temporarily gives brands some breathing room. The research implies that these media platforms are still relevant and companies should still invest in them. But advertisers and marketers have to focus more on positivity, instead of magnifying the negative effect social media has on these young consumers.

    As Hill Holliday’s chief strategy officer Lesley Bielby explained, Gen Z’ers don’t put value in corporations. They instead align themselves with brands they believe in, and if they’re disappointed or the brand doesn’t reflect strong ethics and values, they can turn on them. So brands have to think about how they can utilize social media responsibly and how they can supplement relevant and good brand messages.

    Companies may also want to focus their marketing efforts on just one platform. That’s because social media websites like Facebook and Twitter are very different from each other in the way people use them to share and consume content. As a result, it can be challenging for brands to create content that works well on both platforms. Marketers would have an easier time and see better results from sending the right message about their product on the platform best-suited to their brand.

    [Featured image via Pexels.com]

  • 13 Ways to Grow Your Brand With Pinterest

    13 Ways to Grow Your Brand With Pinterest

    Pinterest is not quite a social media behemoth like Facebook and Twitter, but with 200 million users a month, it can certainly hold its own. The platform’s user base also covers a wide demographic, making it an ideal place for businesses of all kinds to find new customers. As a matter of fact, 50 percent of all millennials in the U.S. use Pinterest. Older people use the platform as well, with 68 percent of American women aged 25 to 54 happily pinning and creating boards. Men are getting into the action as well, with 40 percent of new users being males.

    If you never considered using Pinterest as a marketing tool before, here are 13 ways you can use the platform to grow your brand in 2018:

    How to Grow Your Brand With Pinterest

    1. Integrate Save Buttons to Your Website

    It’s always a good idea to make it easy for people to take action, and adding a Pinterest Save button allows them to Pin your content. You can even choose between using automatic or hover buttons. The former appears on every image on your site while the latter appears when the mouse hovers over an image.

    2. Concentrate on Amazing Visuals

    Pinterest is a largely visual medium, so you have to make sure you’re using well-crafted images. Use photos that are bright, have good composition and are in focus. You can also add some text to give people an idea about your content.

    3. Pin Daily and Wisely

    Consistency is critical when it comes to Pinterest. The best practice is to have a minimum of one Pin day. If you’re planning on posting a lot of content for the week, divide them up so you’ll have several posts per day. Meanwhile, post seasonal or themed Pins about 45 days ahead of the event.

    4. Have Good Timing

    When to Pin and post largely depends on your target demographic. You’ll have to do some testing to identify which times are ideal. But generally, the optimal times to post are between 2-4PM EST and 8PM-1AM EST and on Saturday morning.

    5. Utilize Rich Pins When Necessary

    Rich Pins are upgraded Pins that utilize metadata from your website to give additional information on what Pinners will find when they click on the Pin. These Pins can be used for apps, articles, recipes, and products. More importantly, it highlights the link to the article and has a clear call-to-action button.

    6. Optimize Pins

    All Pins have a uniform width, although the length varies. Pins that are 800px by 1200px are considered the perfect size. Long pins are also good and are shared more.

    7. Try Instructographics

    A term coined by Pinterest, instructographics/infographics are very popular with users. Advertisers also love it because of the platform’s length allotment. So if possible, try this style with your content.

    8. Take Advantage of Analytics for Better Results

    Pinterest analytics can provide you with crucial information, like the most popular Pins and content. From there you can tweak and enhance your strategy so that you’ll target the right audience.

    9. Re-Pin Regularly

    You want to keep your brand in people’s minds, and re-pinning content from other users can do that. It also keeps your own page populated with new content. But never re-pin posts from rivals.

    10. Encourage Engagement

    Never forget that Pinterest is a social platform so you have to be engaged and engaging. Follow relevant boards and engage with Pins in your niche. Encourage employees and influencers to join an share something on your group boards.

    11. Try Out Promoted Pins

    Also known as Pinterest Ads, Promoted Pins are another way to give your brand more exposure. These posts are clearly distinguished by the “Promoted” tag underneath the Pin and when clicked, shows your brand name. Data has shown that companies using these ads received a 20 percent boost in organic clicks.

    12. Diversify Your Board

    Don’t limit yourself by focusing on Pins about a specific niche. Branch out to slightly different topics as they can draw in a different audience. If you’re selling kitchen appliances, Pins about recipes can pave the way for other groups to become interested.

    13. Include Pins in Your Newsletter

    Help your customers find your Pins by sending it directly to them. Include the latest ones in your newsletter. It will also lead your direct subscribers to your account.

    Pinterest is a very diverse platform, giving you the perfect opportunity to reach different demographics. Grow your brand and become a force to be reckoned with in the Pinterest community with relevant content and well-crafted images.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • How to Decide on the Right Social Channel for Your Brand

    How to Decide on the Right Social Channel for Your Brand

    With the power that social media has in bringing attention to a brand and boosting sales, more and more businesses are crafting marketing campaigns via social channels.  In fact, a recent survey by Ascend2 shows that among 271 marketing influencers, using social media channels was considered their most important digital marketing tactic for 2018.

    Related image

    Consider this, more than 66% of marketers are able to improve lead generation just by spending a minimum of six hours on social media. This means that with a modest investment in time and resources, a well-thought-out and implemented social media strategy can do wonders for a company. Conversely, a company can’t expect to develop a sound marketing plan involving social media if it doesn’t know the right channels to use.

    How to Choose the Right Social Channel for Your Brand

    There are seemingly endless social media channels to choose from, but the top choices among them are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Linkedin, Instagram, and Google+. While each one can generate leads, it’s crucial that you focus on the right channel for you. 

    Image result for choosing the right social media channel

    Here are ways that will help you select the best social media channel to use:

    Identify Your Social Media Objectives

    It’s essential that you can connect your social media channel to the objectives of your marketing plan. After all, how can you succeed in your goals if the tools that you are using do not fit?

    If your goal is to raise brand awareness, then choose well-established social media platforms with a huge following. But do not use platforms that are new or just caters to a specific niche. Facebook and Instagram are great tools for this objective, as these platforms are the most effective at introducing new brands and products to their users.

    However, if your objective is to generate more leads in your niche, then LinkedIn might be a better choice.

    Check Current Trends

    You should also consider whether the social channel that you’re interested in is following the latest trends in social media marketing. A sound knowledge of present marketing trends will help you make the intelligent decision regarding the right social medium to use. Remember that you will be investing time, resources, and effort into these social channels, so an eye on the trends can help when deciding which one will attract more clients and boost engagement.

    Know Your Target Audience

    You need to have a clear picture of your target audience in order to create high-quality content that would resonate with them. Try to discover which social media platforms your target market spends most of their time on and how to interact with them. Choosing a social media channel is easy if you know where your prospective clients are.

    For instance, if you’re targeting millennials who love a good story but only want to spend a few minutes on it, then use a platform like Snapchat. You can create a lot of videos with an engaging storyline and target millions of daily users. However, trying to promote an exclusively men’s product via Pinterest could be a tough sell, considering that the website caters mostly to women, featuring items related to craft, food, home decor, and gardening. 

    Check What Channels Your Competitors are Using

    Aside from knowing your target audience and the social media platforms they’re on, it’s also important that you know what channels your competitors are managing. This will give you a foundation on which you can measure industry activity and determine what your next course of action will be.

    Check what type of content your competitors are posting, how regularly they do it and even how many shares or likes it has garnered. Knowing how active your rivals are on social media and how engaged their audience is will give you important insights that you can then use to succeed in your own marketing strategy.

    Think About Your Choice of Content

    The kind of content that you want to develop and use is also critical. There are several content formats. Some will complement your brand identity and goals while others won’t. There is also particular content that is better suited to certain social media channels.

    Companies that want to share white papers, company news or industry updates would have better success on platforms like SlideShare and LinkedIn. Meanwhile, if you’re targeting a young audience, a short-form video content on Instagram or Snapchat is perfect. Longer videos with a universal theme would do better on Facebook and YouTube.

    Identifying the content format you want to focus on in your social media strategy will help narrow down your choice of a social channel.

    The Bottom Line

    You probably won’t be able to choose the right social media channel on the first try. There’s a lot of trial and error involved as you search for the right channel to use. However, knowing what your objectives and target audience are can help narrow down your search.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Why Live Streaming Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy in 2018

    Why Live Streaming Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy in 2018

    More and more brands are using live streaming to reach their audience and promote their business.

    Companies like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and, Twitch have invested millions of dollars to build and improve their own live streaming platforms. The idea isn’t exactly a brand new one, as it has been around since 2011. But when Facebook launched its Facebook Live feature in 2016, live streaming was brought to the forefront.

    pasted image 0 1573

    Live streaming has rapidly grown in popularity because of its low cost and its sense of immediacy that gives viewers the feeling of being part of the action. In fact, the video streaming market is expected to grow from $30 billion in 2016 to about $ 70 billion by 2021, which makes it important for marketers to understand why it has become popular and how to use it to promote their brand. Here’s some insight:

    Live Streaming Gives Instant Gratification

    Consumers don’t want to wait a long time to enjoy their “win,” whether this is a discount, deal, or information. Live streaming gives them the instant gratification that they crave, by allowing them to interact immediately with your content.

    When users join a live stream, they can instantly start to participate in the commentary. Not only can consumers engage with the host, they can also communicate with others about the topic, the services, products, and other key content. Live streaming also gives the company instantaneous feedback regarding their content, thereby giving them an idea of the interest level of the product.

    Live Streaming Humanizes Your Company

    Businesses can use live streaming to give their customers a look behind-the-scenes. They can even introduce their teams or other employees this way. This helps give a human face to your brand and improve the relationship between your customers and you.

    Live Streaming Reaches More People

    Live streaming should be a key tool in your marketing campaign. Unlike email marketing, which only reaches people on your list, live streaming can generate leads from people you haven’t targeted. Word of mouth reviews or recommendations on social media can create interest in groups that the company wouldn’t even have thought of reaching out to.

    pasted image 0 1553

    There are endless possibilities with live streaming, and many companies have already integrated it successfully in their marketing campaigns.

    One brand that was able to leverage live streaming effectively was Kohl’s. The retail chain introduced an instant purchase feature via a live stream during New York Fashion Week. Viewers who watched the stream also had access to the different clothing featured on the host catwalk. Kohl’s masterful integration of the product links to the live feed led consumers to view relevant items and closed some sales.

    If you intend to use live streaming to promote your brand or eCommerce business, it’s important to be clear on what you want to achieve and what strategy you will use. Here are few ways to make the most of this marketing tool:

    • Product Demos: Many consumers don’t understand a product’s value until they really see how it is used. A live stream product demo can show audiences what they need to know about the product and answer their questions. Some companies have even closed sales moments after the release of a live stream demo. Brands with complex products should consider a live stream campaign to explain the principles behind their products.
    • Product Launches: Live streaming is a great way to launch new products or introduce additions to a product line. For instance, a handbag company can use Facebook Live to tease or showcase the new designs and colors of their spring collection.
    • Entertainment: Companies can live stream company rallies, debates, workout or cooking sessions, or concerts to provide clients with special entertainment. This can help boost a company’s popularity and image.
    • Q&A sessions: User-driven Q&A sessions can provide important and actionable data. It also gives brands an image of authority and credibility. These sessions can be hosted by an expert or an influencer. Getting a celebrity to appear will also be a big draw.
    • How-tos: How-to tutorials are one of the most successful strategies for content marketing, and using live streaming will boost this to a whole new level. For example, if you’re running an online bookstore, an author reading an excerpt from their upcoming book will attract a lot of views and attention.

    There’s a reason why big companies like Coke and Chevrolet have utilized live-stream marketing campaigns. It engages customers quickly and introduces products effectively. Live streaming will continue to be a major factor in marketing, so it’s time your business jump on the technology and uses it to your advantage.  

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • How Much Should You Pay a Social Media Influencer to Promote Your Brand?

    How Much Should You Pay a Social Media Influencer to Promote Your Brand?

    Some companies and marketers might still be wary about working with social media influencers, but there’s no denying it’s one of the most powerful marketing tactics today.

    The power of influence marketing stems from consumers’ eroding trust in brands. These days, the majority believe and rely on word-of-mouth reviews and recommendations. One Nielsen study revealed that this type of recommendation surpasses other types of advertising. As a matter of fact, 83% of Americans were found to trust endorsements from people they know while 66% believe in the opinions that fellow consumers posted online.

    Image result for social media influencer trust

    Graphic via Smart Insights

    One of the main hurdles companies face when they decide to go with an influencer marketing campaign is how much to pay an influencer. Hiring the services of an influencer can range from several hundred dollars to millions. Plus, there are other factors to consider, like exclusivity, rate of engagement, and number of followers.

    While there’s no rigid pricing structure behind influencer payments, there are some basic guidelines that companies can refer to.

    Types of Influencers

    There are several types of social media influencers, and their reputation and influence play a major role in how much they’re worth. Based on the numbers, there are five tiers or levels of social media influencers.

    The first tier, or the icon tier, is typically composed of big name celebrities like pop singer Katy Perry or soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. These influencers usually have 5 million or more followers.

    The next tier, the trailblazers, are populated by well-known people like chef Guy Fieri and motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Their followers likely range from 2 to 2.8 million.

    The next three tiers are dubbed the Influencer (800K+ followers), the Micro Influencer (221K+ followers, and the Super Micro Influencer (50K+ followers).

    Surprisingly, it would appear that celebrity endorsers are not always the best choice when it comes to influencer marketing. Despite their status and their millions of followers, posts shared by tier 1 influencers actually had less organic engagement. That means their followers were not as active to like, share, or comment on their posts.

    Meanwhile, tier 2 and tier 3 influencers are shown to be more popular on social media and provide the highest rate of engagement. About 28% of people who see content from a Trailblazer will comment, like, or share the post, while tier 5, or super-micro influencers, have an engagement rate of only 10.25%.

    Ballpark Figures Based on Platform

    How much a social media influencer charges per post depends on several factors like number of views and impression and whether a post includes a product image or video. However, two key factors that also affect cost are the influencer’s average number of followers and the platform they will be using.

    Image result for blog icon 200x200Bloggers: For bloggers, their rates would depend on the site traffic and the monthly impressions the blog gets. For instance:

    • 10,000 to 50,000 monthly impressions: $175 to $250 per post
    • 50,000 to 100,000 monthly impressions: $250 to $500 per post

    The price goes up as the monthly impressions get higher. A blogger can charge as high as $1,000 to $5,000 per post if they can hit over 500,000 monthly impressions.

    Image result for instagram 200x200Instagram: Influencers using this platform usually charge based on the number of followers.

    • Less than 10,000 followers: $93 to $137 per post
    • 10,000 to 50,000 followers: $133 to $185 per post

    Some social media agencies typical starting rate for Instagram influencers is $1,000 per 100,000 followers. The rate is then adjusted based on factors like the client’s budget, length of campaign, and engagement rate. Companies should also expect to pay more if they’re working with a talent agency instead of dealing directly with an influencer.

    Image result for snapchat 250x250Snapchat: Rates here would depend on the amount of views the post accumulates during its 24-hour lifespan. Companies that use Snapchat campaigns the following rates:

    • 1,000 to 5,000 views: $500 per campaign
    • 5,000 to 10,000 views: $1,000 to $3,000 per campaign

    For views 50,000 and higher, the company can expect to shell out anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000.

    Related imageYouTube: Vloggers or influencers on this platform reportedly earn the highest. This is due to the content taking longer to create and demands the most technical prowess. The posts also have the highest reach, as they can be searchable permanently. Brands that are considering working with vloggers can expect the following rates:

    • 50,000 to 100,000 subscribers: $500 to $1,000 per video
    • 100,000 to 500,000 subscribers: $1,000 to $3,000 per video
    • Over 500,000 subscribers: $3,000 to $5,000 or higher per video

    Endorsement deals on YouTube also depend on several factors, like how many talking points the influencer would give or whether there’s an additional link in the video. The format, how many seconds the video will run, and the industry the clip is aimed at also affects the price.

    Social media influencers can be an important part of your marketing campaign. The right influencer can do wonders for a brand. Luckily, the rates of social media influencers are pretty flexible, so it’s possible that you don’t have to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for an influencer campaign.

    [Featured Image via robkardahian Instagram]

  • Facebook’s New Creator App Will Help Social Influencers Create More Video Content

    Facebook’s New Creator App Will Help Social Influencers Create More Video Content

    Facebook is doing everything it can to woo influencers away from YouTube. The rollout of its Creator app might be just what the social media giant needs to get more video creators on its side.

    The app is touted to make it simpler for users to create video and live streams using mobile devices. Facebook is also confident of two things that will draw users to the app – Facebook Live’s new features and unified communication.

    The Creator app now includes a feature that allows for the addition of custom created intros and outros to be used during live broadcasts. Specially designed video frames, interactive stickers, and various camera effects are also being introduced. The app also allows the user to shoot and edit photos and upload them to Facebook Stories and various platforms.

    The app’s enhanced communication features are also expected to draw in more influencers. The Creator app boasts of an incorporated inbox for all messages and comments posted on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. Having a unified inbox means that the user doesn’t have to move through different apps just to reply. Unfortunately, the app only covers messaging within Facebook’s services but who knows if this will change in the future.

    Data and analytics about the video will also be made accessible to users, allowing them to regularly check any algorithm changes to their output. Knowing key details about their follower demographics can help influencers focus on the type of video content they should post and the brands that might be willing to work with them.

    Facebook is also launching a website where video bloggers and creators can get more information on how to develop videos for the site, as well as receiving answers to key questions. Site members will also be given early access to any upcoming features.

    The Facebook Creator app is now available on iOS. However, Android users will have to wait a few more months for the app to be launched on the system. It should be pointed out that the Creator app is not technically new. It’s a rebranding of the Facebook Mentions app that was launched in 2014 and which was initially available only to verified Pages and public figures. However, the app is now open to all users.

    With the Creator app, Facebook is showing just how much it wants to work with influencers and independent vloggers. And with the errors and strange changes currently happening on YouTube, the social media giant might just be able to win this influential and potentially lucrative community to its side. 

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Two Effective Ways to Grow Your Audience on Snapchat in 2017

    Snapchat has been on quite a roll. In 2016,  the image and multimedia messaging app become the fastest growing social media company in the US. But this might not be so surprising considering that over 10 billion videos are watched on Snapchat daily. A Nielsen study even revealed that the app reaches 41% of the country’s 18 to 34-year-olds. More importantly, millions of its users are creating their own content.

    Snapchat still hasn’t oversthrown Instagram, but it is nipping at its heels. The intense engagement of the app’s users and followers can only mean good things to companies as they can have greater access to various demographics, even those seemingly hard-to-reach groups.

    The question now is how to tap into this goldmine and grow your audience with Snapchat. Here are two effective ways to do it:

    Arrange a Takeover

    Image result for snapchat takeover

    Arrange for an influencer to take over your Snapchat account. This means an influencer would literally take over your account for a period of time and create content for you. Takeovers are proving to be a very effective way of growing your Snapchat audience.

    One reason for this is that it gives your brand a humanizing element. Seeing a favorite influencer using your product and your Snap account creates a sort of relationship, as the follower gets an honest look at another person’s perspective. Aside from the established connection, it also introduces your account to new followers.

    However, influencers don’t usually come cheap. In some cases, this type of marketing might cost a hefty sum. Bear in mind that most influencers work with a limited amount of brands as too many deals might leave their followers disgruntled. They are also very careful with the companies they work with as they only choose brands that reflect their image or message.

    Use Other Social Media to Cross-Promote

    Image result for promote snapchat on youtube

    Snapchat is still a baby when compared to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. So if you have existing accounts on these platforms, it’s logical to assume that you have more followers there as these accounts are older. Take advantage of those followers and cross-promote your Snapchat account in these channels.

    A prime example is YouTube personality Shane Dawson, who has shown an aptitude for cross-promoting his brand. The author and sketch comedian tends to promote his Snapchat account to his more than 8 million viewers on YouTube by keeping his Snap handle up in most of his videos. He does the same thing on his Snap account by posting updates there whenever he has a new video up.

    There’s no shame in indulging in some self-promotion on your own channels, as long as you’re providing decent content most of the time. To ensure that your audience doesn’t tire of too much self-promotion, try to keep it at 80/20 – 80% entertaining content and 20% self-promotion.

    Now would be the best time to create a Snapchat account and start building followers. If you already have an existing account, try incorporating it with your other social media accounts or find someone to do a shout out or takeover. You might have to shell out some cash or offer a sweet deal in return, but it will be worth it.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • How Will Amazon’s New Social Media Platform Benefit Brands?

    How Will Amazon’s New Social Media Platform Benefit Brands?

    Online retailer giant Amazon just found another way to make it easier for people to part ways with their money. The company has ventured into the world of social media with Amazon Spark, which was launched last July.

    Amazon Creates Social Media Platform

    At first glance, Amazon Spark looks a lot like some other social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest. The newcomer platform’s feed is also heavy on photos but a marked difference is that these are images of products available on Amazon.

    Image result for amazon spark

    Of course, encouraging people to post pictures of the products they love or make reviews on items they have tried is Amazon’s brilliant way to deepen consumer engagement on their platform. At the moment though, only Amazon Prime members can make posts or comment on them, but non-Prime members can still use the platform to view posts.

    Just like your typical social media platform, Spark requires first-time users to register. Once a user has logged in, Spark requires the user to choose at least five interests that would later become the basis for what posts will be included in the feed. The platform actually allows more than five interests, which range from generic, broad categories like “Music” or “Books” to more narrowed-down options like “TV Bingewatching.”

    Spark is also using its own version of a “Like” called “Smile” to indicate approval of a post.

    Image result for amazon spark smile

    The Advantages of Spark

    While it shares a lot of similarities to older platforms, Amazon Spark has several advantages over its competitors. Unlike other social media platforms where people log on to see what’s the latest buzz on virtually everything, there is only one reason why Spark users would log on to the platform and that is to see what is worth buying.

    Essentially, Spark is a social media network for consumers—people looking for the best products to buy. As such, you can expect the conversion from traffic to actual sale to be higher on this social media platform than most others. Before logging into the platform, users are already eager to buy something. They’re just looking for the right product to justify a purchase.

    The higher conversion rate will offset Amazon Spark’s smaller user base compared to other platforms. At the moment, there are around 80 million Amazon Prime members who are allowed to post and comment on Spark. However, there’s a hidden number in there somewhere that brands should not ignore. Apparently, Prime members spend around $600 more per year than non-Prime members. Multiply that by 80 million and you’ll get a rough estimate of its gargantuan potential for brands.

    Image result for amazon spark social comparison chart

    Aside from tapping the purchasing power of the horde of Amazon shoppers, there is one thing that sets Amazon Spark apart from other platforms. Since Spark is inside the Amazon application, buyers can buy the item tagged in a particular post seamlessly and without the need to log into another app to make the purchase. Since the eCommerce component is already integrated into the platform, there is simply no time for consumers to hesitate and, in a way, Spark has made impulse buying even faster.

    Current Limitations for Brands

    At the moment, Amazon Spark does not allow brands to make posts to the platform. However, brands can work around this problem by reaching out to “enthusiasts,” which is Amazon’s term for influencers, to make posts for their products in the meantime.

    Another limitation is that Spark is only available for iOS devices at the moment although Amazon previously promised that an Android version is on the way. In addition, there is no word yet if the company plans to expand Spark’s access via desktop.

    [Featured Image by Amazon]