Social Media Strategies Archives

5 Places to Share Your Blog Posts Every Day

December 4, 2013/by Corey Padveen

To increase your blog’s readership, you need to share your blog posts to a number of feeds every day.

While there are some writers that own a blog simply for the joy or writing, those of us with a business blog are looking for one thing above all else: readers. In order to increase your blog’s audience, you need to share your blog posts on a regular basis, and these five channels need to be on your daily list.

1. Your Business Pages

If you own a social business, then you undoubtedly have business pages on networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and others.

Your audiences on these pages are inherently your most loyal. They have decided to follow your brand and be notified of the content you are sharing, so why not give them what they are asking for?

Share your content to these pages for your highest CTRs as soon as it is published. Your audience is waiting for it.

2. Your Personal Accounts

It might seem obvious, but people often forget to share their content to their personal accounts. The mentality is that if it is for business, it should be shared to a business page. Yes, but also no.

First, you never know who might be interested in what you have to say. If you write an article and post it to your personal Twitter account, one of your followers might click on it because of the captivating title, read the article and subscribe to your blog. Right there, you might have found a new lead that you would have otherwise missed.

Second, as an employee or owner of a social business, you are your brand. People follow your company as they would follow you. The article was not written by ‘Brand X’, it was written by John Doe of ‘Brand X’. Employees are the best brand advocates out there. Take advantage of that.

3. Social Bookmarking Sites

This is good for both the short- and long-terms. Sharing your articles to bookmarking sites like Digg and StumbleUpon mean that they will be archived for a long time to come. You never know when someone might find it, bookmark it or even share it themselves.

Keep in mind that while your content might be most popular shortly after it is shared, it can still be discovered down the road. You’ll want it to be discoverable in places where longevity exists in much greater fashion than on some of the larger social networks (i.e. Facebook and Twitter).

4. Groups and Communities

If you are a member in industry-specific LinkedIn Groups, or Google+ Communities, then you are sharing and reading content that everyone in that group might potentially find interesting. When t2 employees first started sharing articles to LinkedIn Groups (particularly those in the social media realm) we saw our traffic more than double in the first month.

People join social groups and communities to find content relevant to the work they do. If you share it with them, they will be all the more likely to read it.

5. CommentLuv-Enabled Blogs

For those of you that are not familiar with CommentLuv, it is a WordPress plugin that welcomes all comments and links to be shared. Now be careful, this is not encouraging you to post spam. Spam is spam no matter what fashion it appears in.

Familiarize yourself with your industry’s blogs that have enabled CommentLuv and, when you find an article that is relevant to your most recent post, share a comment and provide a link to your relevant material. This is not going to come up as often as the other means of sharing your content. You are really going to have to do some work in order to find these blogs. However, when you do, be sure to leave a relevant comment (do not simply post a link – that’s spam) and share a backlink to your article. This is good for increasing readership and SEO.

Try out some of these tips and watch your readership and subscription rate increase. It is all a question of finding your most engaged audiences!

Where do you share your blog posts every day? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

How to Create LinkedIn Ads that Generate Results

December 3, 2013/by Corey Padveen

LinkedIn Ads are a great way to reach large audiences of professionals and generate new exposure for your brand.

As with any platform that offers an advertising model, LinkedIn Ads can really give your brand a boost when it comes to reaching new audiences. However, considering the detailed nature of the professional network, LinkedIn Ads allow you to target audiences in a far more specific way than any other social ad platform.

Consider your Facebook profile, then compare it to your LinkedIn profile. On Facebook, you might leave out your work details, education, and keep your interests private. That can make it pretty hard for an advertiser to include you in their targeted campaign. However, on LinkedIn, we go out of our way to tell people where we went to school, what our work history looks like, every detail about what we do now, and by showcasing groups in which we are members, we tell everyone what we are interested in professionally. When it comes to LinkedIn Ads, that’s a gold mine of information.

Next time your decide to run a LinkedIn Ads campaign to promote your Company Page, take some of these tips into account to generate great results.

Study Your Audience

In the ‘Analytics’ tab on your LinkedIn Company Page, you can learn a lot about the people that have looked at your brand.

If you scroll down, you can see exactly what the ratios are for your brand’s fans in terms of the industries in which they work, their level of seniority, their company size, industry and more. Figure out what your most active audience looks like and create ads targeted to those demographics. Clearly, your message resonates with people who fit that criteria.

Leverage Competitor Insights

In the ‘Insights’ tab on your company page, you can see what other Company Pages your fans have followed or visited. Do a little research and see what your competitors are doing. Not only can this give you some idea of what the competitive landscape looks like, it can also provide useful reminders to include information you might have forgotten.

If you are sharing an audience with someone, you want to ensure that you are sharing as much information as possible and then some.

Use Your Targeting

As noted above, targeting your LinkedIn Ads is far more extensive than most networks out there. Take advantage of every section that exists. Even if you do not have your Company Page insights at your disposal, use the targeting options for A-B testing.

Target different industries, skills, locations, ages and more in order to ensure that the most specific audience is seeing your ads. When it comes to testing, this is a great way to determine what types of ads resonate with different demographics, and which audiences are most engaged with your content.

Sponsor Your Most Popular Content

As with Facebook and Twitter ads, you can promote different posts to broad audiences on LinkedIn.

When looking at your Company Page stats, find the articles that reached the largest audience and had the highest engagement rates. Then, promote that content to your targeted audience and grow your follower base. This is a great way to not only increase your audience size, but showcase your excellent content.

Follow these simple steps next time you are running a LinkedIn Ads campaign and you will be sure to see some great results!

Have you created a LinkedIn Ads campaign? How did it go? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Ideation and the Secrets of Content Marketing

December 2, 2013/by Corey Padveen

Content marketing is all the buzz in social business, and the secrets of content marketing start with ideation.

What is ideation? Well, it is quite simple. Ideation is the formation of concepts or ideas. Easy, right? Much easier said than done. One of the great secrets of content marketing comes down to that simple task. In order to find success, you are going to need to have a great idea. Those aren’t always the easiest to come by. Luckily, there are ways to give your ideation a boost.

The strategies below are a few ways to go about finding inspiration for your next great content marketing campaign.

Use Tools at Your Disposal

There are plenty of tools out there that can give your ideation process a major boost. Trendsmap tells you what is trending on Twitter in different areas. Creating content around a popular event is always a great way to generate buzz, and Trendsmap is a good start.

There is also Ubersuggest, which describes itself as ‘suggest on steroids’. Type in a keyword, location and medium and watch the results populate with suggestions for other keywords and phrases with every letter of the alphabet!

Soovle is an incredible tool that provides you with the most searched terms based on your typed keyword – as it is being typed! See what popular searches look like and begin working with those terms to create highly sought after content.

Monitor Industry Chatter

Something as simple as watching your Twitter feed can give you the inspiration you need to create a great content marketing strategy. There is no greater inspiration than your industry’s conversation. Social channels offer us an opportunity to see what people are thinking, and what interests them at this moment.

Opening your eyes and ears to trends in conversations – either by simply monitoring your social feeds or with the use of a higher end listening tool – will help you better understand what people want to see. You can then use this insight to create a multi-channel campaign that generates significant engagement.

Incorporate Every Channel

The 2013 content marketing study by Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs shows that the most successful content marketing campaigns are using upwards of 14 social channels to share their content. You can’t ignore any channels when it comes to creating a successful content marketing campaign.

When searching for an idea, consider one that can expand onto every one of your social channels (and then some). Your story should be capable of being told on any platform, with a variety of media types (e.g. text, video, photo, etc.).

These are just a few of the ways in which you can create a successful content marketing strategy starting with ideation. The secrets of content marketing are pretty simple; success is going to start with an idea.

What does your ideation process entail? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

3 Great Features on the New Facebook Insights [VIDEO]

November 30, 2013/by Corey Padveen

Take a look at these 3 great features on the new Facebook Insights!

Social Shopping on #BlackFriday

November 29, 2013/by Corey Padveen

It’s #BlackFriday and the numbers show that social shopping is bigger than ever.

We hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving. It makes sense that the day following one of the biggest feasts of the year we are forced to exercise the whole thing off by running through malls and department stores offering the biggest savings of the year. But this year, something is different; social shopping is a major factor in this year’s Black Friday shopping. Below are five truly impressive stats about social shopping this year.

91% of e-commerce retailers saw a boost in the SEO rankings due to social referral traffic.

It is no longer speculation that social plays a major role in SEO, but these numbers are unprecedented. Social sites like Pinterest and Facebook are driving tremendous traffic to online retailers offering up some big deals this holiday season. So the results of being socially active? Your search rankings get a well-deserved boost as buying season gets into full swing.

There has been a 357% year-over-year increase in sales from social traffic.

No, we did not forget to add a period anywhere – that is three-hundred-and-fifty-seven percent. Social activity is driving more and more buyers to online stores to do their holiday shopping this year. That’s good news for the retailers with the foresight to have been aggressive with the their holiday promotions on social media in 2013.

65% of consumers research gifts using social media.

Using social media for research and recommendations is nothing new. But it is hard to imagine why anyone would not take advantage of such a vast majority of online users looking to social media for advice. Imagine being able to talk directly to a prospective customer without ever having to get them in the store. The sales process is changing, and numbers like this prove it.

Buyers originating on Pinterest average almost $200 per sale.

Simply put, that’s a big number. Of course we expect consumers to be spending more around the holidays, but we would expect the numbers to even out when we aggregate the data. On Pinterest, it is all high purchases. Pinterest’s most prominent demographic is women from high-income households. It is no wonder that smart businesses turned to that network to drive higher social-driven sales.

Social drives as much online traffic as in-store.

For retailers that discount the importance of social media because they are brick-and-mortar only, think again. Statistics show that social media is driving as much traffic to physical stores as it drives to online stores. Remember, social is a research tool. So no matter what your business structure is, a large part of your audience is starting on social.

Good luck with your holiday shopping this year!

10 Ways to Increase Your Twitter Followers

November 27, 2013/by Corey Padveen

In order to get your message out there, you are going to want to find ways to increase your Twitter followers.

While we are constantly told that it is all about quality over quantity, it is hard to deny that it looks good when a user has thousands of followers. It adds a degree of credibility and engrains within us this idea that they must be sharing interesting content if so many people have chosen to follow their account. So what can you do to increase your Twitter followers without having to use any black hat techniques?

Following these ten simple action items is a great way to help you start boosting your Twitter activity and increasing your brand’s Social Equity.

1. Fill out your bio.

Tell people about yourself. You are given a chance to let people know what they are getting when they follow with your bio. Don’t let it go to waste! It also adds credibility to your profile.

2. Be creative with your header.

When Twitter revamped their layout, they added header images. A lot of users leave this area blank, but a creative one can be a big reason why someone decides to follow your profile. Don’t let the space go unused.

3. Link your account with other channels.

You should have your Twitter feed on your blog (with an option to follow), it should be linked to your Pinterest profile, your Google+ profile and there should be a tab with your Twitter feed on Facebook. Basically, no avenue should be left unlinked to Twitter.

4. Embed your tweets.

It is very easy to embed your tweets on a blog post or your website. There is no reason why you should not be taking every opportunity to further promote the great content you are sharing on Twitter.

Read http://t.co/yc7nY3anBl to see how small businesses should use #SocialMedia

— t2marketing (@t2marketing) November 22, 2013

5. Take advantage of conversations.

You shouldn’t be tweeting to no one. Take advantage of the @ option and tweet to people. When people receive your tweets, they will be more likely to both a) engage with you and let their followers see what you are saying, and b) follow you.

6. Follow your followers.

Having a huge ratio of followers to following might work for celebrities or internationally recognized brands, but for individuals and SMBs, you are going to want to follow those who follow you. In addition to seeing great new content populate your feed, you will also expand your reach in the Twittersphere.

7. Use trending hashtags.

You can always see what hashtags are trending when you look to the left of your Twitter screen. If there is something that interests you, or something you can share, do it with the trending hashtag. There are thousands if not millions of people using and following that hashtag while it is trending. Increase your Twitter followers with its strategic use.

8. Keep your content fresh.

It is no secret that a lot of people and brands recycle their tweets. There is no shame in that, particularly when you are trying to increase clicks through to your content. But keep your content fresh. Change the wording and make sure that the links and content you share are going to still-relevant content. (Your followers should not be clicking to a link about buying trends from the 2008 holiday season.)

9. Ask questions.

Starting conversations of your own is just as important as joining in other people’s conversations. Ask your followers questions and get them to engage with you. People love sharing their opinions, for better or worse.

10. Keep it short and simple.

140 characters may seem short enough, but the truth is that if you keep it even shorter and simpler, you can improve your engagement. As sad as this reality might make you, people do not want to spend time reading through long tweets filled with multiple hashtags and links. Keep it to one of each and short enough that people can respond.

Try out some of these tips and see your follower count rise!

What are you doing to increase your Twitter followers? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Smart Social Marketers are Going Mobile [INFOGRAPHIC]

November 26, 2013/by Corey Padveen

The future of marketing, advertising and commerce will largely be mobile, and smart social marketers realize that.

The mobile market has been growing incredibly fast in recent years. By 2017, the social advertising market is projected to be worth roughly $11 billion, and revenues from streaming and download services are projected to be somewhere around $9.5 billion. So with a $20 billion plus market just a few years away, it is no wonder that smart social marketers are looking to mobile.

Some of the stats below have been shared so many times they come as no surprise. After all, when you hear about opportunities with mobile marketing as much as we do, the fact that 60% of Twitter users are mobile is no surprise. But there are a few gems that stand out.

First, there is the fact that by 2015 (which is much closer than we seem to think) tablets will outship personal computers. There is also that fact that mobile users are far more engaged. When you look at the stats about user engagement with tweets and Facebook posts on mobile devices, it makes you wonder if ad dollars might be better spent on mobile social ads than targeting desktop feeds.

All that to say is it is no surprise that the smart social marketers out there are quickly catching on to the importance of mobile strategies and optimization.

Take a look at the infographic below and let us know what stat you think is most shocking or interesting. Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Google’s Top Tips for Innovation

November 25, 2013/by Corey Padveen

Sometimes inspiration can be hard to come by, but Google has provided us with some tips for innovation!

In a recent Fast Company article about Google’s Chief Social Evangelist Gopi Kallayil, a few great tips for innovation were shared that marketers, business owners and, frankly, anyone can appreciate. Of the nine excellent principles shared, the following three were the most resonant.

Focus on the User

Perhaps the most important question you can ask yourself when creating something – whether it is a service or an app – is, “Will people use this?”

Too many people are driven by the potential for wealth that they lose focus of the importance of the idea. A ‘million dollar idea’ only exists if there are people out there willing to use your product. Focus on the end user and what they want and need, and the rest will fall into place.

Let Employees Innovate

Let’s say you are building an app. You’re seeing some traction and getting downloads and you think you have it all figured out. What we often forget is that we are sitting on a goldmine of potential and never breaking ground!

Google provides their employees with what they refer to as ’20 percent time’. For those of you not familiar with this concept, it is time that employees can take using company resources to work on passion projects and try to bring them to fruition. You never know what brilliant ideas the people sitting all around might come up with. Give them a chance to find out.

Fail Well

Playing it safe might be the right call from time to time, but if you have never failed, you have never dared yourself to try something innovative. And if you have failed, you have earned something very valuable.

The idea at Google is that if you are going to fail (and yes, you will fail every now and again) learn from your failure. If a project is not doing what it is supposed to do, scrap it. But maintain what works and build from there. Who knows, you might find that a small feature of a larger failed project becomes your next big project. It is all about pushing yourself and letting yourself and your brand take chances.

These are just three of the great lessons we can take from this session. Have a look at the full article here.

What are some of your tips for inspiration? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

6 Great Resources for Blog Content [VIDEO]

November 23, 2013/by Corey Padveen

Looking for inspiration for your next post? Check out these six great resources for blog content!

What You Need to Know About Showcase Pages on LinkedIn

November 21, 2013/by Corey Padveen

Showcase Pages on LinkedIn are designed to help get the right information out to specific users.

LinkedIn Company Pages are a great asset, but if you are familiar with all of the features of LinkedIn Company Pages then you understand how they might limit a larger corporation’s ability to showcase different divisions or subsidiaries. With the new Showcase Pages on LinkedIn, that is no longer the case.

The idea behind this new feature is to give large companies the ability to showcase a specific product or service as a standalone part of the company. These Showcase Pages will also have the ability to publish unique updates and allow users to follow them individually as opposed to following the whole company. So, in the case of a company like Sony, they can have Showcase Pages for PlayStation that only shares content about the console and another one for their televisions. This way users can follow only what interests them. This also helps companies in understanding their audiences quite a bit better.

So how can your brand use these Showcase Pages on LinkedIn?

All About Organization

Sure, this seems to make the most sense for very large companies with several divisions, but don’t feel like your brand can’t benefit from it as well.

Even smaller companies can use these Showcase Pages, you just need to properly segment your company. If you offer multiple services or products, it might be beneficial to segment them in your Services tab, then create a Showcase Page for your most popular or most profitable product or service.

Use Them Properly

Few things look worse than a page (on any network) that is not being properly utilized. People familiar with social channels can spot these misuses right away and it reflects poorly on the brand. The same is going to apply to these Showcase Pages.

Do not create a Showcase Page for every single product you offer. What’s more, seriously consider if the Showcase Page is even going to make sense to you. Research the feature than make an educated decision as to whether or not it works and, if it does, how you can use it.

Plan Your Content

The content you share to your Showcase Page should be relevant to the product or service you are trying to showcase. Don’t simply share the same content you are sharing on your personal profile or to your Company Page. This should be relevant to the audience that choses to follow your product as opposed to your company as a whole.

A New Type of Advertising

Companies can advertise on Showcase Pages.

There are two types of ads that exist for Showcase Pages: Follower Ads that are aimed at increasing the number of followers for a Showcase Page and Sponsored Updates, which promote the content shared by a Showcase Page. This is a great way to feature your brand’s expertise and drive leads to a LinkedIn landing page with all the information they are going to need to know all about it.

Do you plan on using Showcase Pages on LinkedIn? Tell us about the product or service you are going to feature in the comments below or on Twitter!