Monday, August 19, 2019
Sunday, August 18, 2019
How to Calculate Twitter ROI
Get to Know Your Social Media Metrics
It doesn't matter which social media platforms you're using to promote your business?-if you're not measuring your results, you're wasting your time!
It doesn't matter which social media platforms you're using to promote your business?-if you're not measuring your results, you're wasting your time!
You need to be tracking things like which posts perform better than others, and which types of content your users like best.
According to Twitter, 336 million people use the platform every month. But early on, I was struggling to see the value of Tweeting. It was hard for me to justify the amount of time and effort I was spending on it, before I understood how to properly market there and calculate Twitter ROI (return on investment).
Yes, I saw many celebrities and big brands joining the platform, and it became an active community to Tweet about politics-Barack Obama even announced he'd won the 2012 presidential election on the platform.
But how could it work for me and my clients?
I see things differently now, and put a lot of effort into marketing on this platform (as you'll see by going to our account. I Tweet a lot)! But that's because I know how to calculate Twitter ROI, so I know what's working and what isn't.
Too many entrepreneurs don't effectively measure their efforts on social media. They also fail to realize how valuable their time is. They'll choose to DIY something to save money instead of hiring an expert to do it for them.
They don't consider the time they spend learning to do the task, the time they waste by not focusing on their business, and the fact that the expert probably could have gotten them far better results.
From my perspective, I see a lot of value in the social networking sites when it comes to visibility, brand enhancing, building relationships and being recognized as an expert in your industry.
But the key is to allocate your time wisely.
Put in enough time to achieve your goals and then move on to other important business-building activities. There's nothing wrong with spending some of your time on social networking, but spending hours a day at it is probably not the best thing for your business or your ROI.
Here's how to focus your time wisely on Twitter metrics:
Set up your goals.
Is it to get people to download a white paper on your website?
To fill out a form for a free consultation?
Only then can you effectively calculate ROI. You need to be able to see what people are doing, like clicking on a link you posted to get to your website.
Part of setting up analytics (Google Analytics or a paid platform) will be creating a tracking token per goal. Most marketers have more than one goal: on the home page it may be to sign up for a newsletter, while on an inside page it may be to download an eBook.
You want to be able to see which actions had which results, rather than ending up with a giant pool of stats you can't make sense of.
There are online tools that let you generate these tracking tokens, or you can hire a professional marketing company to make analyzing metrics much easier on yourself.
Get to know Twitter Analytics.
You'll find stats on everything from audience demographics to engagement rate here. I find some of the best insights here include:
? Tweet engagements and engagement rate. Engagements are the number of interactions a Tweet gets, while the engagement rate is engagements divided by impressions.
? Event and trending topic data. This shows you holidays and trending conversations so you can join in when and where it's relevant.
? Video content performance. According to Hootsuite, Tweets with video attract 10x as much engagement. When you've started Tweeting your video content, you can see how people are interacting with your videos, like if they're watching them to completion. Read 'Why Incorporating Video on Your Twitter Account is Good For Social Marketing'.
Don't forget the hashtags.
Hashtags can be a really effective marketing tool, but many marketers don't understand how to track their ROI.
Not sure what hashtags are? Check out 'A Newbie's Guide to Hashtags on Social Media'.
You can track the number of interactions with your hashtag (how many people like, share, comment or retweet the content) to see how well a particular tag is performing.
It's just one of the ways to see if the time and/or money you're putting into social media is paying off.
Check examples from the BizGalz, a global community of women and the men who support them as they "challenge the world, think big, & make change." During one of their recent Twitter Chats, they've asked people to name their favourite conference using the hashtag #BizGalz so they can easily see who's engaging with the chat.
Keep on tracking.
Depending on the size of your business, it may take some time to uncover viable stats. That's okay! Keep tracking and tweaking as you go along.
It's important not to lose focus on things like how many followers you're gaining or losing over time, how many shares your posts are getting, how certain hashtags are performing and so on.
While it may be a bit more difficult to calculate Twitter ROI than it is to simply see if someone has filled out a form on your site, it's worth it to spend some time focusing your marketing efforts there and getting familiar with your analytics. Chances are, your competitors are!
Find it challenging to find enough time in the day to get your business tasks done, never mind social media? Or maybe you're just not sure where to even start.
Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.
As a result of working with Susan and her team, clients feel confident and relieved knowing their online marketing is in trustworthy and caring hands so they can focus on building their business with peace of mind at having a perfect support system in place to guide them every step of the way.
Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and download your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results".
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/260293
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Saturday, August 17, 2019
4 Tips For Creating The Perfect LinkedIn Profile for Your Business
When you run a business, or even if you're just starting a new business, one of the things that you should be thinking about now in the age of technology is social media. Every business should have its own pages on social media, whereby you can interact with customers, try and engage new leads and clients, and publish new information or products and services.
Creating the perfect LinkedIn profile for your business can take a while to get right at the beginning, but it can have a huge effect on generating traffic to your website and customers to your business.
1. Make Sure Your Logo Can Be Clearly Seen
Don't use a profile picture which is one of your products or a picture of your staff members. You can post images like this later on, but for now you should concentrate on your logo and making sure that the main images associated with your business become well-known. Once you have decided on a logo, you should stick with it rather than try to change it depending on the comments you receive online.
2. Stay Professional
Your LinkedIn profile should look professional in every single way. You wouldn't create a personal LinkedIn profile for employers to find which didn't look highly professional, so don't be tempted to do so from behind the curtain of your business. Respond to enquiries in a timely and polite manner, and build professional relationships with other users and businesses.
3. Include Some Information About Your Business
It's tempting to leave the 'About You' section until later, but when it comes to your business, you don't want to miss any opportunities. Waiting just a few days to update this section could mean that you miss out on several potential leads for the business. Before creating any social media profiles, you should have a website and mission statement set out, which you can use to provide LinkedIn users with more information about your business.
4. Appear Approachable
Some people are interested in contacting a business through LinkedIn, but just don't feel like the business is approachable. This is often a combination of many things, such as announcements that you are very busy lately, unfriendly-sounding updates or blog posts, and pictures which lack color and personality. It's almost like creating a personality for your business. You should try to achieve a personable, friendly, professional and credible appearance for your business.
Whether you're marketing direct to consumers or to other business professionals, LinkedIn can help your business. To get the most out of this potentially game changing social media site, you need to know how to market "the right way". To learn more on how to expand your circle of influence, grow your business and improve sales and profits download my free LinkedIn Marketing Guide at https://jonallo.com/linkedin
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948
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Friday, August 16, 2019
How To Schedule Your Instagram Posts For Better Results
The first thing to realize when using Instagram for business and being able to schedule Instagram posts is that you need to upgrade your account to a business account.
When you have a business Instagram account, you unlock many features that aren't in the personal platform. So do that right away, then follow the rest of the steps.
Tools You Can Use
There are numerous tools that you can use to schedule Instagram posts. Hootsuite.com, Later.com, and HopperHq.com are great platforms to use. You can upload the information using your laptop or PC, or you can hire a virtual assistant to do it for you. You don't have to push individual posts out via your phone anymore. If you have a business account you can just use the scheduling software to schedule each post. But you will still need to use your phone to finish the process if you are publishing photo albums or videos.
Engage with Your Followers
Even though you can now use tools to schedule posts on Instagram without your phone, you still need to force yourself to engage with your followers. You don't want to forget to look at Instagram and comment to people who say things to you and comment on other people's posts, even though you can schedule using your PC. Remember, social media is all about engaging. Engage.
Instagram Automation
There are some services that will say that they'll automate getting more follows and shares for you. But the truth is, this is a bad idea. While it might seem fun to automatically follow and like people who comment or use a hashtag you set up, the best way to do this is personally. If you really want an active and legitimate following, do that yourself or ask your VA to do it for you. Otherwise you could even end up with a blocked account.
Don't Spam Your Audience
Instagram are very adept at getting rid of spammers. So, you want to be careful about appearing spammy. If you have a lot of images that are from the same event, post them as a photo album. Plus, try to offer free content more than you promote. They say that you should promote only once after three posts. So, post useful content three times, then on the fourth time promote. It's a good rule of thumb.
Avoid Scheduling Content Too Far Out
If you schedule your posts too far out, you may end up accidentally offending people. But, if you pay attention to the news and can stop your schedule, you might be saved if something happens. Be super-careful about any type of scheduled post that could be taken wrongly on a bad day.
Always check your post before you schedule or post. Check that you don't have typos, and ensure nothing is wrong with your image that could be taken the wrong way, or something you don't want out there. Post regularly, use appropriate hashtags, and follow your fans back.
Instagram's popularity continues to rocket as the cameras in smart phones become better at taking high-quality pics and videos. To learn more about this social media powerhouse and to get more tips to gain followers on Instagram, download my free Instagram Marketing Guide at http://jonallo.com/instagram
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948
Thursday, August 15, 2019
7 Instagram Story Ideas To Build Your Following
Keeping your Instagram busy is a good way to build your following. An active account is more interesting than an inactive one. Plus, using Instagram to share all types of content with your audience in many forms is going to be much more interesting to them than if you shared only one type.
Let's look at some ideas that you can incorporate into your stories to build your following.
1. Show a Day in the Life
A great use of Instagram stories is to take a day and show up a few different times of the day to share what you're doing as it relates to your audience and your business. For example, if you're a business coach, you might want to share how you run your own business and team with others.
2. Go Live
Take some time to go live each day even to share just one exciting tidbit of news. When you go live randomly, your audience will get notified if they signed up to be notified. They'll pay more attention to you and will even be sad if they miss it live, but they'll also watch the recording if you leave one.
3. Provide a Sneak Peek
Creating a new product or service? Provide a sneak peek about it. Trying out a new software you want to recommend? Do a story about it. The more reasons you can find to show up in stories, the better for your quest to find more followers.
4. Conduct a Poll
Instagram allows you to conduct polls, which is a good way to find out what your audience is thinking. Keep polls short and sweet to avoid any confusion, since these polls aren't very scientific. If you want accurate results, consider keeping choices limited.
5. Trade Instagram Stories for a Day
If you have a colleague that serves a similar or same audience as you do, you can trade Instagrams for a day. You run their stories, and they run yours. This is a wonderful way to get cross-promotion and more followers.
6. Count Down to Launch
If you have a launch or an event coming up, use Instagram stories to do a countdown for the launch. This is a fun way to get everyone excited about your new offer.
7. Use Stickers and Special Effects
Instagram has ways for you to grab your audience's attention; use them. Add special effects, use stickers, add great hashtags. Call out the right people. Make yourself known so that you can grab those followers who like you.
When you do share a story, always remember to include a call to action. Your audience will not act (or only very rarely) if you don't tell them what to do. Each time you make any content, you should know what you want the results to be after your audience views it.
Instagram's popularity continues to rocket as the cameras in smart phones become better at taking high-quality pics and videos. To learn more about this social media powerhouse and to get more tips to gain followers on Instagram, download my free Instagram Marketing Guide at http://jonallo.com/instagram
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Your 2019 Guide on How to Use Video in Email Marketing
It's not news that video is at the forefront of marketing these days.
From creating videos for your website to hosting Facebook Live sessions, this marketing tool has transformed from a nice-to-have to a must-have if you want to effectively engage with your audience and build a loyal following who will be more apt to purchase from you.
Video-based marketing is a great way to stand out from the multiple messages people get in their inboxes every day, not to mention how effective it is on social media.
This article focuses on using video in your email marketing. Keep reading for the technical parts of utilizing video in your email marketing and the creative aspect for some inspiration.
I've talked about using video many times in the past, but in case you're still not convinced or didn't think to use video in your email marketing efforts, it's time to pay close attention. According to a study done by SuperOffice, including video in emails led to open rate increases of six percent (the average open rate across industries is about 25 percent).
Some other benefits of video marketing:
• It saves time. You can create short, engaging pieces of video much more quickly than it will take you to write an 800-word blog. It also gives info to your viewer in an easy-to-understand way.
• It can help SEO. Your Google search ranking can improve if your footage is viewed and shared by enough people.
• It's cost-effective. You don't need CGI effects or animation to make something great. A video can be much more affordable to produce than a blog or ad.
• It grabs attention. Especially when added into your newsletter, a video captures your audience's attention and compels them to want to watch.
First, the Technical Part of Video Email Marketing
Before you start brainstorming ways to use video in email, you need to know how it plays in different email clients.
There are over 30 major email clients, including Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail and Yahoo Mail, and some of them don't support the requirements for using email with video.
Traditionally, marketers would use HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language) to code HTML video directly into an email, but recipients with certain email clients aren't able to play it. Many popular email providers will only show a fallback image, and your marketing message will be lost in the crowd.
Fortunately, some of the popular services like MailChimp, Constant Contact and AWeber make it easy to share across all providers by using a screen capture image of your video and linking it to your original content on your blog, YouTube, Vimeo or similar sites.
This gives the appearance there's actually video in your email and avoids technical issues with your email provider.
Instead of having to learn HTML5, there are also 3rd party services that can create a video snippet for you to include right in the body of your newsletter. In fact, I did this in a recent newsletter of ours!
Check out Playable to embed a short video in your next newsletter. Playable will replace the video with an image of your choice if the email service provider doesn't support the video technology.
>> Learn more about the features of our favorite email providers.
No matter what eNewsletter tool you use, it's crucial to test your campaign before you send it out. You'll need to have accounts on all of the popular email platforms so that you can see how your footage works in each of them.
Sound like a lot of work? Trust a professional marketing company that's been helping clients create successful eNewsletter campaigns since 2003.
Next, Make Sure You're Mobile
According to Hubspot, mobile opens accounted for 46 percent of all email opens. That means you have to ensure you're keeping smartphones in mind when you're email marketing with video.
Fortunately, eNewsletter providers such as MailChimp and Constant Contact let you test and see how your messaging will look before you send it out.
It's still important to keep the file size as low as possible so the video doesn't need to buffer to start playing. Mobile devices don't have the fastest download speed.
A good tip is to take a 10 second snippet of your video to use in the newsletter. That snippet can then link to the full feature on your blog.
Also, always make sure autoplay is off, especially on mobile. Most people don't appreciate having something start playing (often noisily) as they sit in the office or on a bus; they prefer to click on Play themselves.
Now, On to the Creative Part
With the technical stuff out of the way, let's look at how you can actually create content that will engage your viewers and get you more visitors to your website.
You need a plan with clear objectives or else you're just sending content out into the world and hoping it will be seen and loved.
Why are you creating this campaign? To generate leads, brand awareness, followers... ?
Once you've identified your objectives and goals, you can start thinking about actual email, and the content you want to produce.
As mentioned, host the full-length video in a blog post, landing page or even on social media and then plan to incorporate a "sneak peak" of that video in your email marketing campaign, linking to the full-length version.
Here are six tips and inspiration to get you started:
1. Use the word "video" in your subject line to make your message stands out.
2. Promote an event. Let's use a law office as an example. We created a short video using Wave.Video for one our clients, A Family Law Firm, to promote an upcoming seminar they were hosting.
3. Offer tips. When it comes to email marketing with video, users want short, digestible clips. A "Top 5" or "4 ways to improve" will get more attention than a 2-minute creation of you trying to explain a product.
4. Create a series. This is a great way to keep people engaged with your expertise, as long as what you're providing is valuable to them. Stay away from a five-part series on your latest offering. Instead, solve a problem.
Using the law firm video marketing again as an example, you could set up a list-building campaign and do a four-part video series on ways to prepare for a separation or divorce:
• Part 1: DIY or hire a lawyer?
• Part 2: Filing the necessary paperwork
• Part 3: Dividing assets
• Part 4: Supporting your children
5. Make tutorials. Your product or service solves a problem, so how can you showcase this to your clients? Educate your viewers with a short explanation around how your product or service will improve their lives, using real-world examples.
6. Think outside the box. Now, we don't all have the budget outdoor company Patagonia does; however, look at how they've integrated amazing footage into their email campaigns. It doesn't focus on their surfing gear, but it's relevant to their customers.
Whether you're a life coach shooting some footage while you're on vacation or a wellness provider offering viewers a glimpse of your dinner prep process, get creative and get shooting!
Email marketing with video can be incredibly powerful, increasing your open rates, engagement, leads and sales substantially.
However, not every email should contain one. If you start using this marketing tactic every time you send out an eNewsletter to your subscribers, they'll stop paying attention. Think of it as one way to stand out from the crowd, but don't neglect your other tactics.
Crafting an eNewsletter campaign with video (or without), choosing the right email provider, testing and monitoring open rates and engagement is a tough job. And, it needs to be done well or else you'll end up alienating and losing subscribers.
Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.
As a result of working with Susan and her team, clients feel confident and relieved knowing their online marketing is in trustworthy and caring hands so they can focus on building their business with peace of mind at having a perfect support system in place to guide them every step of the way.
Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and download your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results".
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/260293
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