Social Media Archives

Social Media – An Important Marketing Tool

11th October 2018

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Blogs News

We all accept that social media is essential for a business, but not necessarily understand why. Business owners who hire someone to help with their social media see the money going out and not always see the money coming back, in direct relation to their social media activity.

That is because the return on investment can be low on social media, especially if you choose to avoid using the ads. If you do choose to use ads you find yourself forking out a fortune on them. People get stuck in a rut of feeding money in to the ads, while actual interactions and sales on social media are low.

This is why I feel there is a misconception of how social media can be used as a marketing tool.

How to use social media as a marketing tool – for free!

It is very rare to find anyone over the age 13 who doesn’t have some form of a social media account. It is estimated that by 2020 there will be 2.9 billion social media users worldwide (according to Statista). Just think of all those people scrolling down their screens who could see your business!

And that is just it…

Social media is not necessarily about selling – because to be honest who checks their Facebook or Instagram to go shopping? Social media is about being seen. It is about sharing your brand with the world, so they get to know you, learn about the people behind the brand and for you to build a relationship with them.

Don’t get me wrong, you do still need to post about your product/service. How else will people know what you do? But if all you do is post selling posts, well you can wave good bye to the number of interactions on your page.

When social media first started, it was all about the numbers. The more followers the better, using systems such as like ladders to build a huge following bigger than your competitors. Now though social media is more about the interaction numbers – the impressions, the reach, the number of actions on your page/posts. To obtain these numbers your posts must give people a reason to interact and share with their friends.

Examples of ways to make free social media work

Are you an Author? Then do a leading quote from your book, or even your favourite book, with an eye catching graphic as the background. Are you a Make up artist? Then share a picture collage of your most favourite looks – on you – with one or two tips to make it possible. These types of post are related closely to your business, give a sneak peak in to your services and an insight into you as the owner. It is these types of posts I have seen get some of the highest interaction rates than any other post types.

For example, I recently did a post on procrastination. I was struggling to come up with a plan for a website and was easily getting distracted by personal chores that needed doing. So, I cleaned under my stairs, and took a break. Suddenly the idea I had been struggling to grasp hit me like a 2 by 4 and I was able to sit and complete the website. The aim of the post was to show that even as a business owner I struggle with productivity at times, but it also dropped in a touch of one of my services.

Now this post didn’t get me a rush of people wanting a website, but it did get me a few comments from people, who then mentioned it to their friends. Helping me expand my reach and spreading my business name.

And that was the aim, to interact with those that currently follow me, and have them naturally share my name to others through their interactions with others. All while giving an insight to me as a business owner.

All it takes is just 15 minutes a day to put up a post and interact a little in groups where your audience can be found. Or you can schedule your posts upfront on a weekly/monthly basis then spend 5-10 minutes just interacting a day. While your waiting for the kettle to boil, or the kids to come out of school, there are plenty of easy short times to interact on social media without allowing yourself to get absorbed in it – which I know I can be guilty of!

Social media is about being social, not about selling – its even in the name!

So do not worry if the selling post you put up last week did not result in any sales, as long as your reach/impressions are at least 20% of your followers that post worked to get your name in front of someone, and next month when they are shopping, your name will come to mind!

Social Media Summary 2017, Marketing, Social Media

Social Media Changes 2017 Summary

28th November 2017

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Uncategorised

Can you believe it is nearing the end of 2017??

The last few months have flown by and by now a lot of business owners are making their marketing strategy for 2018, have you got started?

One big aspect of the marketing strategy will be social media, and how best to use it for your business. Over 2017 we have seen some changes within social media that have, or will shortly have, an impact on the way we use it for business.

Here are some of the top changes of 2017.

Paid Social Media

Yep, unfortunately it seems Social Media for business is starting to get costly. Whereas previously your reach would be high just by posting daily, now a lot of the platforms are reducing that reach unless your willing to purchase ads.

Facebook is the biggest one to tighten the reach belt, and coming up before the end of 2017 its going to get event worse – Facebook admitted their new plans will reduce reach up to 60% for businesses. They recently introduced a new layout for news feed, 2 news feeds – 1 for business, 1 for personal. Business posts will no longer be shown in the every day newsfeed and individuals need to make the conscience decision to switch to the business newsfeed to see what is happening on the pages they follow. The only way to be seen in the normal feed is through advertising.

Live Video Streaming

YouTube has always been the favoured platform for video but now nearly every platform offers a live streaming facility, with many favouring it to the traditional text updates. The facilities have been there on various social media platforms previously, yet in 2017 the use of video marketing has sky rocketed – with use around 4 times higher than 2016. With live streaming posts and video stories, businesses have been able to get in front of a larger audience in way TV ads never could. Even LinkedIn has jumped on the video band wagon.

Examples of successful videos are how-to videos for make up, resulting in the viewers wanting to know where they can buy. Mini coaching sessions, followed up with the offer of more in depth coaching if individuals pay for the service. The building of communities around services and products thanks to the use of mini videos dropping tips and just video journaling their business journey.

Facebook are now introducing Collaborative Stories for Group and Event Pages. This update allows multiple group members and event attendees to contribute their own view/opinion on a story. The admins will be able to moderate this, manage privacy settings and encourage others to join in.

Messaging Apps

Apps such as WhatsApp are popular messaging apps for personal use. However it was recently announced by WhatsApp that they will also now be used for businesses to communicate with their customers. Whether it is as a marketing tool or a customer service tool.

Facebook messenger has previously been a popular messaging app to communicate with customers through business pages. But the new plans will be to allow businesses to communicate with the customers and inform them of up coming bookings, travel times etc. Previously web developers have been able to add a click to call button on websites, using either Skype, or a phone’s dialling screen to make the call, coming soon there will also be the chance to add a click to chat link via Whatsapp.

Social Media E-commerce

This is something I have had experience of this year, and was an interesting learning curve. Social media platforms are adding their own shopping platform. Facebook took the initiative and have introduced a shop element to business pages, where sellers can add their items in a catalogue format. Buyers can then either buy on Facebook or are sent through to the seller’s website to complete the purchase. From uploading the products, organising the catalogue to marketing products and managing orders, Facebook allows it all.

However, Twitter has removed their buy it now button and replaced with additional features to encourage more website conversions than previously.

Pinterest however are embracing this new element. They are now allowing Pinners to search for ideas – for example an night out outfit using their Lens Your Look tool. Upload an image of something in your wardrobe and Pinterest will find matching items to finish the outfit off. For the upcoming season, you can connect with Friends and Family and Pinterest’s API will create a gift board based on what they have been engaging with during the year.

ChatBots

Not something new but something that is definitely growing, with more and more businesses finding a use for them. Whether it is just sharing a little bit of information to individuals visiting your social media accounts, or as a 24/7 customer service option. Just interacting with a post on social media can now activate a chatbot to send a message with more information, and ways to get in touch.

I have seen this in use with a lot of start up businesses and small businesses, as it is becoming more popular and easier to implement than ever before. To learn more about Bots visit Business Insider UK who have done an excellent article on them.

These are just a few of the updates Social Media has seen, and there are plenty more that I am sure you have experienced. This is why it is important to keep updating your strategy every quarter to avoid using out of date practises and your business suffering.

Good Luck for 2018!

Why an online presence is important to your Small Business

21st January 2017

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

An online presence is brilliant for any business, but why?

Every small business owner is advised to get an online presence – website, social media platform, Google My Business and a blog – but it is not always explained why. Other than it is great for your business, why else would an online presence help you?

Let’s look at some statistics (as of 2016) and reasons why.

Out of the 7.395 billion people 3.419 billion are online
2.307 billion of them have an active social media account

Think of the amount of people you could be getting your business in front of. Even as a local business these statistics but you in front of more people than a newspaper ad or leaflet through the post box. Unlike traditional marketing methods having an online presence costs you nothing but time. Just an hour a day to interact with followers and schedule new content is cheaper than printing leaflets to reach the same amount of people.

41 percent of Americans and 40 per cent of UK citizens say it is important that a business they interact with has an online presence
Of UK citizens that have a social media account 34 per cent and 28 per cent of Americans say they prefer to interact with a business who an online presence than visit a physical location.

Why? Because lives are getting busier, people are spending more time rushing from one place to another they don’t have time to pop in to a physical shop as much. Not only that but when they discover a problem and require a need they want answers straight away, rather than putting it on a back burner and forgetting about it till later. People want answers NOW and being online gives you a far better chance to be in front of those customers when they need you.

Facebook & Twitter Stats

Every month 2.5 billion comments are made on Facebook business pages

42 per cent of Twitter users learn more about products and service online, while 49 per cent of users a month follow a brand or company on Twitter (Twitter has 310 billion active users)

Staggering numbers of users who are interacting with businesses online. These users are always looking for new and better companies to make purchases from, for both services and products. Taking advantage of having an online presence will put you in front of these users and using eye catching, relevant content will show them why they should use your business instead of others.

Pinterest & Instagram Stats

In November 2015, a user survey discovered that 60 per cent of users say they have found new brands through Instagram.

75 per cent of saved pins on Pinterest come from businesses. People referred from Pinterest are 10 per cent more likely to make a purchase and an ASTOUNDING 90 per cent of users use Pinterest to plan or make a purchase

Those figures alone have me looking in to using Pinterest for my own business. I use Pinterest to look for ideas for my kids birthday parties, and decorating the home. It is therefore understandable why having your business links on there will garner you more interest. I have seen many businesses comment in groups on Facebook about using Pinterest and getting the graphics correct but by the looks of it, the efforts are worth it.

LinkedIn Stats

More than half of LinkedIn users are more likely to buy from a business after interacting with them on LinkedIn

LinkedIn drives more than half of all social traffic to B2B blogs and sites

LinkedIn is primarily for business to business (B2B) interactions and hiring opportunities. These statistics do back up the primary purpose, and create a whole world for B2B businesses to grow their business, market their services and provide a platform to show off their expertise.

Blogging Stats

Virtual Assistant, People Buy People, RedRite, Leeds

People buy People – Be Nice!

1st November 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Majority of sales talks you will go to will teach you that ‘people buy people’ and therefore you must work on your interactions with people and the way you represent yourself.

But it is not just how you present yourself just to potential customer but also how you interact with other business owners, competitor or not.

I recently commented on a public post requesting rough idea of prices for a website. For me web design is a secondary income and therefore I do not charge the full amount many other web designs do charge, and I do not include the additional services such as a custom-made theme, logo design or any other such additional services. I literally help business owners create a basic website presence for search engines at a price that many start-ups can afford. This however resulted in not just myself but other low priced offers being ‘told off’. There was another designer who felt we were insulting her, upsetting the designing community and making it hard for her to create a living. I politely retracted my offer and apologised to her, stressing that I offered my price for personal reasons and not to insult her or others.

At this point many people would have left it be or even just accepted my apology… not this lady. She continued to go on about how rubbish work is from those that offer low fees, how she would end up having to fix the mess made by subpar work and how even though it was not my intention it is what I was doing anyway. I was supported by others in that the prices we charge is our own personal choice and not to insult others, yet it did not satisfy this individual. For me as the consumer it would personally put me off to see someone, who is part of a supportive network of people, insulting other business owners and even after being apologised to continue ‘telling them off’ for their choice in pricing.

I would love to hear your opinions; would it leave a bad taste in your mouth if you saw someone insulting other business owners just because they have a different pricing structure to them?

I fully understand that for a working relationship to work you need to feel you can trust each other, that you get along and your personalities don’t ‘rub each other the wrong way’. This is why if, after an initial conversation, I feel I cannot comfortably and successfully assist someone I will suggest someone else I feel they will work with better. Some business owners, especially those starting out, cannot afford expensive outlay and will want a cheaper option. Others will have money to spare and happy to invest in more expensive services. For this purpose, there is a spread in cost for services it all depends on a business owner’s personal choice on what they charge, and to be insulting them over their choice is not good practise.

So remember it is not just your consumer audience that you need to sell yourself to but to other businesses too. If a business owner sees you being polite, helpful and just generally nice to other people, even if they haven’t experienced your services they are more likely to suggest you as a possible referral for a project then they are if you are sat insulting other business owners, and putting them down, no matter how great your services are.

I love referring business to other people and always keeping an eye out for new businesses to refer, either to my clients or to individuals in the groups I am a part of. So, I take note of interactions not just with possible consumers but with other business owners as well, something I am sure a lot of others do too.

Something I was taught as a kid was – If you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything – and to this day I do believe it. If you don’t like someone else has undercut your prices don’t insult them publicly, private message the original poster and expand on your price, make a personal connection with them and win business that way.

People buy People, so be a person someone wants to work with and can trust.

Interact with me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and let me know how you feel about people buy people.

Facebook Etiquette, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

Top tips of Facebook Etiquette of Business

27th October 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms with 1.71 billion active users as of the second quarter of 2016. That is 1.71 billion people who have logged in within the past 30 days and who could potentially see your business. But how do you use Facebook correctly for business and avoid Facebook jail?

Let’s first look at how to get your business on Facebook. The best, and safest way, to place your business on Facebook is either through a Page or a Group.

Pages

Facebook dislikes people using their personal profiles to advertise business, so creating a Page linked to your personal profile is specifically created for that reason. On a Page you can choose a category as well as up to 3 sub-categories in which to advertise your Page, the sub categories are determined by the main category so make sure you choose the most relevant to your business. If you add your business address you can also place a map in the sidebar so that others can locate you as well as if there is any parking available on site, perfect for location based businesses. Other details such as opening hours, price range and contact details are also added so consumers know all they need to about you.

A Page can then be used just like a personal profile, the difference being the Page is public and used for business posts rather than what you had for dinner. The occasional personal post can allow consumers to see the person they are buying, just make sure you use details you are willing to go public.

Groups

If you want to limit what the audience sees or maybe want to create a small community around your business, then Groups could be for you. Groups can be publicly available to all, closed – public can only see members or secret – were public cannot see anything but the Group name and type. Members can be free to add other members, however if you want to limit your audience you can control who is actually allowed to join once members refer a friend. Choosing the relevant type of group – such as Club, Support, Study group, Team or travel to name just a few – can help identify to potential audiences what your Group is about. There is also a Buy and Sell type which adds the option to list things for sale within the Group, many local communities start up Groups like this for locals to sell second hand items. If you wish for only certain posts to be allowed, or limit the days in which certain posts can be posted, such as Promo Thursdays, then you can adjust settings to require post approval required.

I have found some of the best groups are those that offer support and networking, with numerous members posting issues they are having with their business and other members offering their support and advice.

What are some etiquette points for interacting on Facebook for business

People buy from people and if they see you being rude, offensive, even just plain ignorant to those posting on your wall or commenting in your Group then it can put them off actually purchasing from you. Although many users are not on Facebook to buy, through the correct and polite methods you can slowly build up a relationship with your audience. This relationship can encourage people to return to your business for their purchasing needs, either a product or a service you may offer.

The biggest NO NO of all time is spamming. Posting adverts for your business within groups is perfectly fine (as long as it doesn’t break the Group rules) as long as it is done tastefully. Respect that there is not just you in the Group and spread your posts out over a period of time. Some groups, such as my networking group, only allow business advertising posts once every 48 hours. While others only allow promotional posts on specific days and posts such as a Promo Thursday post. Abiding by these rules put you in people’s good graces, ignoring the rules and you will find yourself blocked from the Group as well as seen in bad light by others within the Group. Be polite, friendly, chatty and respectful of other group members or those on your Page.

The same goes for replying to comments and messages, sometimes even just a simple thank you can make the difference for your business. Facebook places a little icon on your Page for those that are fast to respond to messages including the length of time it can take you to reply to messages. Ignoring messages altogether can have you coming across rude and consumers will go look elsewhere for their purchasing needs.

Keep your content fresh, if you use a Page for your business it is necessary to post regularly to a degree. If you post once every few weeks, make sure the content is valuable! Consumers like to see what a business is up to and the more you post, the more you will be seen in their newsfeed. If you do not post, you do not get seen.

Sticking to these basic rules of Facebook for business and you will avoid ending up in Facebook Jail and can successfully grow your business.

Business Networking, Leeds, RedRite, Virtual Assistant

Business Networking and the Benefits

10th October 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

I previously wrote about the benefits of networking using the social platform, Twitter. However, this time I want to expand on that and discuss the benefit of networking as a whole.

What is networking?

Wikipedia classes business networking as – “Networking is a socioeconomic business activity by which business people and entrepreneurs meet to form business relationships and to recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities, share information and seek potential partners for ventures.”

Many think of business network marketing as Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) companies, such as Juice plus, Forever Living and Arbonne, however network marketing works for everyone. It is the process in which you use networking situations to market your business and can be beneficial particularly to business to business (B2B) companies who are looking for other business owners to market to.

What is the benefit of networking for a business?

Being a business owner can sometimes be a lonely experience. Yes, you have staff and yes you family but to the staff you are the boss and not all family are interested in talking about business. So who do you turn to when you want to chat about business without being formal? That is where the benefit of networking comes in to play, whether it is face to face networking or even just a member of a Facebook/LinkedIn group. Having access to people in similar position as you to talk to when needed eases the responsibilities of being a business owner as well as open avenues of business you might not have considered.

Through networking you can create a close knit network of individuals that you can go to for advice, do skill swaps with in order to complete projects on a budget or to attend conferences with. The connections made through networking can also provide collaboration possibilities. Regularly meeting and communicating with other owners about your business it can effortlessly spread the word about what you have to offer, without the expense of a marketing campaign or keeping track of what posts went in to which Facebook group. In this way it is one of the cheapest ways of building your audience, keeping people aware of your business and, when giving advice, it is also a way to show your expertise in your industry.

Top Tip: Always carry business cards with you to networking meets, every person you come in contact with is a potential new customer and providing them with a business card means they can find you again after the meeting.

My experience with Networking.

I personally am a member of several groups and run two of my own face to face networking groups. Through these groups I have met so many new people and even obtained several new clients, clients I would not have met any other way. A plus to these groups is when I want to vent about a situation, or dying for advice I can turn to them, provide a little detail and receive feedback that clears up the situation for me.

These networking groups and those on Facebook also offer me an audience to provide market research and it’s a guarantee they are the correct market to help me. I have offered to complete market research for other individuals as well as provide advice in regards to what actions a person should take, particularly in a situation they may not have experienced before. Answering questions put to the groups has helped my show that I do know what I am talking about, I can do what I advertise and in turn has built my client list. I have created a level of authority in my industry by a simple comment on a post.

Is Networking suitable for my business?

Yes! Networking is perfect for any business, whether you sell a physical product or provide virtual services. Finding a group of individuals that can offer you support and open more avenues for sales is one of the easiest and most effective techniques to running a business.

How do I find a local face to face group?

Local business networking groups are everywhere, some of the best ways to find a local group is to post in local Facebook groups or search on local ad pages such as Craigslist or Gumtree. Websites such as Meetups.com or Eventbrite.co.uk are specific sites created to advertise networking events, simply enter in your postcode and choose a search area. If you know another local business owner why not attend together if you are nervous about attending.

If you are local to North Leeds and want to know more about networking groups pop us an email across and I can share my local groups. I also have a list of some networking groups in the West Yorkshire area, just send me a message and I will share a copy.

Posting Content Top Tips, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

Posting content right in order to attract your target audience is vital, follow these basic tips to get started.

The way people interact with marketing is changing, attention spans are getting shorter and more consumers are using dual screens – a mobile and a laptop – at the same time in order to multitask. So being seen by your target market is getting harder and harder. Getting the content right and when to post it out is vital. I recently listened to a video by Gary Vaynerchuk called Stop Storytelling Like it’s 2007.

Gary discusses how the content itself needs to be modified to each platform used. One story, one visual is not enough to advertise on all platforms the content needs to be adaptable. Examples are such as those who visit Pinterest – this is usually for aspirational and inspirational content rather than a business advertising their services. LinkedIn is a professional network, where content needs to be kept in a professional tone and appeal to those primarily looking for business to business content.

On top of this it is necessary to understand where exactly your audience is looking, understand who they are, what platforms they interact on more and even at what times. Knowing the answers to these questions can help you adapt your content to been seen better by the right people. There is no point posting hand knitted accessories on LinkedIn when your customers are going to be found on Pinterest or Etsy. The same can be said about timing your posts correctly, business individuals who work a 9 to 5 job won’t be online at 10m in the morning and parents are less likely to be online between 6-8pm when its kids bed times.

Finding the answers to the above questions can be a case of trial and error, sometimes what seems to work may suddenly stop working and the strategy needs to be re-evaluated. This can be true for all platforms and businesses, especially around school holidays and special events throughout the year such as Christmas and Easter where people’s habits change. There is no set perfect time and dates or even the perfect type of content in which to use, it all depends on the individuals you are appealing to. Many suggested timetables can be found online but there is no guarantee they will work, it purely is all about trial and error. Keep your brand the same but adapt your posts till you can obtain your optimum interaction level with your audience.

Another thing is to consider the correct use of hashtags in your content, I have written an article on the use of hashtags and this can be found HERE.

If you want some help understanding the analytics and insights of your posts get in touch and I will happily help.

Buy Yorkshire, Jessica Zeun, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

Jessica Zeun – Digital Marketing at #BuyYorkshire

22nd May 2016

by RedRiteUK with No Comment Articles Blogs

Jessica Zeun – Vodafone – Digital Marketing for Small Business

My first seminar of the day at the #BuyYorkshire Conference was looking at digital marketing and the impacts it has on small businesses in particular hosted by Jessica Zeun on behalf of Vodafone. Jessica Zeun is the managing director of Zeun Digital Ltd, she has worked with digital marketing and computers, even teaching as a lecturer for Sheffield Hallam University, since 2006. I was lucky enough to partake in her talk at #BuyYorkshire and took away some interesting facts I had not considered or were aware of beforehand.

Firstly Jessica introduced us to some very interesting facts about the access methods for the internet and the volume of usage within the UK including the following information (sourced from SocialFresh.com/Future)

There are currently:

57.3 Million Active internet users.
38 Million active social media accounts
74.8 Million mobile connections
32 Million Active mobile social media accounts – social media accounts that are accessed on our mobiles.

She also showed us the below image which highlights the percentage of users currently

Jessica Zeun spoke passionately about the developing 4^th revolution known as the Digital age where Millennials will be the driving force for social media and digital marketing. Millennials are those individuals born between early 1980s to around 2000, many the freshest faces in the workforce and just entering in to the workforce. Millennials have grown up with the developments of the internet and therefore far more comfortable with the uses than those in previous generations are.

What is the 4th Revolution?

The 4^th revolution is the generation of data and customer service where marketers need to be asking questions such as Who are the customers? What do those customers like? And more importantly what problems need solving? What could your competitors do that could ruin you – could they offer a more advanced service to even just a more reliable service than yourself? Asking these kind of questions and adapting a company’s product or service to fit offers a more substantial chance at success. For example companies such as Blockbuster who ended up going bust in the early 2000’s due to their lack of interest to develop with the times and stay stuck offering physical rentals while everyone else was moving to download rentals.

Other questions that can be asked is whether your current social media and web presence could be improved for better customer experience and functionality, even making it mobile accessible – 50% – 80% of traffic for mobiles and websites are through mobile applications. Those accessing social media and websites through their mobiles are accessing up to 150 times a day with 68% of people checking within 15 minutes of waking up. An astonishing 82% of buyers consult their phones while out purchasing items to look for better priced items elsewhere, or may even find a company with a better reputation in which to purchase it from. More astonishing is that 91% of mobile users access their phones mid-task for just a few minutes at a time. Therefore it is essential to be Be There – Be Useful – Be Quick.

So should I change my current marketing strategy?

Adapting your marketing to get in front of this audience would benefit your business significantly. Having a relevant and useful website, or even an app, can result in 1 in 3 people choosing your brand over their original intended store. 40% of those shoppers however will leave a website within 3 seconds if it is not clear or easily navigational, the action in which you want them to take must be easily understood. Jessica mentioned the Zero Moment of Truth, (More about ZMOT can be found on google – https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/collections/zero-moment-truth.html) which looked at the introduction of online research to fulfil a need or a desire where in previous generations people would automatically go to associated businesses for a product – I.E. B&Q for garden and building materials or Mothercare for Baby goods. So get your website tested by friends and family, or even random people from social media to assure it is both clear and navigational.

Figure 1 – Zero Moment of Truth model.

If you have a functional and clear to understand website/social media presence then you need to get advertised, Jessica highlighted several different types of advertising including:

Paid Content

Pay Per Clicks

Banner Ads

Affiliate programs

Owned Content

Website and Social Media content

Videos

Blogs

Earned Content

Editorials

Bloggers talking about you

Word of Mouth

Social Shares

Advertorial – One of the best ways to advertise and be seen

On top of these there are also paid guest blog posts, boosted posts and apps. It is vital though that once you have a marketing strategy in place you measure it and are aware of what is and is not working. All while making sure your website is core to your strategy as it is your own platform and you control all content, functions and the way it looks unlike on social media platforms. Always monitor regularly and respond to every interaction. Collect information and learn more about your audience so you can target marketing far easier and finally generate active content – do not just sell but interact, provide sharable content and appear approachable within your posts.

For more information on Marketing why not follow Jessica on LinkedIn – Zeun Digital

And also follow us – www.LinkedIn.com/in/RedRite-uk

Hashtags… What not to do

27th July 2015

by RedRiteUK with One Comment Articles

Hashtags… a useful aspect of language, but can also have disastrous effects when done wrong

What started out as an identifier for address mode in computer language back in 1970 has now become one of the most used symbols in international languages on Social Media platforms. The hash-tag (#) was once just a basic symbol very rarely used by those outside of the computer programming network but back in 2007 when Chris Messina proposed to use hash-tags to identify groups on twitter it changed the use of hash tag completely. Although it had been used in Internet Relay Chat (IRC) networks previously to label groups and topics it wasn’t until it was introduced on Twitter that it fully developed in to everyday use. Hash-tags have become especially useful for business owners on Twitter to get their business notice, using trending hashtags to make people more aware of their business and in turn lead to new customers.

However there is a downside to the hashtag phenomenon and that is picking the wrong hashtag. There are documented incidents where companies have not researched the use of a hashtag correctly and tweeted very damaging messages to their followers. For example the #McDStories, where Macdonald’s had hopes of people sharing their good stories about Macdonald’s and was connected to their #meetthefarmer campaign of tracking the story behind the supply chain of their products. The McDStories however was shut down 2 hours after release when people used it to relate stories on how they had been disappointed in the service or had become ill because of the food. This is a fail that is still seen today. Another example is the numerous Q&A hashtags that have popped up and very quickly disappeared again, from figures such as J P Morgan and Dr Mehmet OZ, who when opening themselves up to Q&As ended up with ridiculous questions unrelated to their business or related yet complete jokes.

When planning on using a hashtag for your company it is best to research first, keep an eye on international news as sometimes if disaster has struck and you hashtag that area your tweet can become an offensive remark. Like the Celeb Boutique who mistook the hashtag #Aurora trending to be regarding their new Kim K inspired Aurora dress. The truth was that the hashtag was in relation to the mass shooting in a movie theatre in Aurora, this came off as very insensitive and upsetting.

So when looking for a hashtag don’t just pick a random one hoping it will be effective, or pick one that’s trending without knowing why. Something as simple as a hashtag can cause great problems for a company no matter how big and impact how your customers see you. If you are not sure if it will be beneficial to your company then get a second opinion or just do not use it at all. If you use a scheduling software to schedule your tweets remember what it is you have picked as well so you do not automatically tweet something that has become insensitive or is no longer relevant.

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Posts tagged: Social Media

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