Tag Archive for: social media marketing

8 Criteria for Determining Your Target Audience

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To find success with social, you need to cater your content to a target audience.

Finding your target audience on social can sometimes be a challenge. We know whom we are targeting when it comes to selling our product, but what are our goals when it comes to social, and what audience do we need to target in order to achieve those goals? This is where the challenge comes into play.

The targeting capabilities that exist with social are so advanced that they allow you to create a target market right down to the specific interest. Therefore, we need to evaluate a few key criteria when choosing our target audience so as not to send out our message to an inattentive audience.

These 8 criteria are some of the more important ones to consider when it comes to selecting a target audience for your content on social platforms. Some might seem obvious, but remember that with the exactitude with which we can target our message on these media, they are important to answer with as much specificity as possible.

Age

Though it seems like an obvious criteria to consider, knowing the specific age range of the audience that you are looking to target will help you build your social presence on networks where you know your audience is most active.

Gender

Men and women are not necessarily engaging in the same activities in the same places on social media. Building a successful content strategy will be heavily influenced by the gender with which you are trying to engage.

Education

You will not be drafting the same content for PhDs as you will for college freshmen. They are simply interested in different things.

Industry

This can be broad or highly specified, but it should certainly be a consideration, particularly if you are creating a content strategy as a B2B.

Job Function

If you want to engage the C-suite, you’ll need to appeal to the issues they care about most. To craft a successful content strategy, figure out exactly who you are targeting in the organization and craft a strategy designed to target their needs.

Interests

Take a step back and look at the content you are trying to share. What category of interests does it fall into? Figure that out to properly position that content in front of the eyes of the right audience.

Influence

Are you looking to target industry and thought leaders or would you prefer to establish yourself as the industry leader? Both have their benefits.

Marital Status

Priorities change when family comes into the picture, and you should decide if your product or service is better marketed to single or married consumers.

Building a target profile is also a very helpful exercise. Determine your ideal customer based around these criteria and build a content strategy geared towards peaking his or her interests.

For Example

Jane Smith is a 41-year-old married woman with 2 children and 18 years of experience in the field of product marketing. She has held a job at the Manager level for over a decade following the successful completion of her MBA. She is interested in running and hiking and likes pages and accounts on social media with a focus on branding. She does not have a blog herself, but she often comments on influential blogs in the field of marketing and advertising.

Try it for yourself. What does your target audience member look like? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Why You Aren’t Finding Success with Your Social Media Tools

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Social media tools can be very helpful, but only if they are being used correctly.

This week, I have the privilege of presenting a few sessions at the Social Media Strategies Summit in Las Vegas, one of which discusses some of the best tools in the market when it comes to mining and understanding your analytics. I thought I would share some insight into what I have noticed when it comes to why so many people – from marketers to business owners – are having trouble when it comes to getting the most out of their social media tools.

The Tool Is Not Right For You

Sometimes a tool can look great and a company representative can do a fantastic job of pitching it’s benefits for your brand. This might make you sign up for a trial or even buy into it. You might find, after some time, that it isn’t doing all of the amazing things you thought it would. Maybe it’s just not that into you.

Tools – from freeware to enterprise levels – are designed to accomplish certain, specific goals. They are not right for every brand despite them looking like they have a universal applicability.

It’s important to take advantage of the trial versions of these tools in order to get an honest look at what they can do for you, and whether or not it is the right fit for your goals.

You’re Trying to Do Too Much with It

For many applications and technologies, there are a few things that they do exceptionally well. On the other hand, there are a few things that they might not do too well, or even not do at all. That’s ok – these tools are not technological miracles.

Many tools are designed to provide a solution to a specific problem. Sometimes additional functionality is added, but the core benefit of the program is to help users overcome a specific obstacle. It might take a combination of technologies in order to effectively do everything you want to do with social.

The thing we need to keep in mind is that there is no one-tool-to-rule-them-all solution out there. (At least not yet.) There are some great ones, but it might take a few of those working in tandem in order to properly execute a comprehensive strategy.

You Haven’t Taken the Time to Master the Application

This is the biggest issue that users face when it comes to not succeeding with these tools. All too often, people see one of these technologies, think that it is the perfect fit for their brand, sign up for it and wait for it to ‘work its magic’. That’s a recipe for disaster, plain and simple.

These tools take an investment of more than money, they take time. This is particularly true for enterprise level tools. If you are not willing to devote the time necessary to really understanding and properly using a tool, then it will never do all of the things you want it to.

Before making the investment in one or many of these social media tools, ask yourself if you are really going to take the time that is necessary to making it work for you. If you simply can’t afford to put that time into it, then save yourself a sunk cost and look for something else.

Social media tools can be huge complements to a social business strategy, but they need to be treated with respect and fully understood in order for users to get the most out of them.

What are some of your favorite social media tools? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

What’s the Difference Between Content Strategy and Content Marketing?

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While both content marketing and content strategy fall into a very similar category in the realm of social business, there are some subtle but important differences to be aware of.

What's the difference between content marketing and content strategy?One of the most trending concepts in the world of social business these days (both on and offline) is content marketing. We hear it mentioned by virtually every thought leader and industry member. But as with a lot of buzzwords, as they increase in popularity, they can often decrease in clarity.

People use content marketing and content strategy interchangeably. That’s a mistake. While both phenomena are closely related, they possess some notable differences that make them distinct features of a business strategy.

Why do we keep hearing about this stuff, anyway?

Content marketing and strategy are much more than simply sharing content to different media; content marketing is storytelling.

Lately, we have seen some outstanding examples of brands leveraging the power of the story. Lots of brands – from small to large – are jumping on the content marketing bandwagon to try and create an engaging story of their own, but it is a lot easier said than done.

Unlike conventional forms of marketing and advertising, the concept of content marketing relies heavily on your ability to connect with your audience. For consumers, the novelty of endless content being shared on multiple media channels has worn off. People only want to see (and, more importantly, share) content that they find interesting and resonates in some way.

For this reason, the brands that have found the most success when it comes to content marketing are those that have developed an intricate content strategy based on what they have deemed relevant to their audience.

What is content strategy?

Content strategy all starts with some good ol’ fashioned research. Sure, there are plenty of tools to help you out; after all, there is so much data to sift through that we would never be able to do it without at least a little help. But content strategy all starts with determining what your audience cares about.

This can be industry-relevant – for example, maybe you notice that your audience is most interested in learning about the difference between content marketing and content strategy – or it can be a social issue. And no, not a social media issue. A social as in societal issue. First identify what your audience cares about, then share information that they find relevant and interesting.

People do not like spending money if they don’t have to. (Or really want to.) So, when you share nothing but self-promotional content, they are more than likely to ignore you. After all, why would they listen to what you have to say if they know it is all going to lead back to a sales pitch?

Content strategy is all about avoiding the sales pitch. Determine how your brand can connect with your audience on a human level and share information that resonates from that perspective first.

How is content marketing different?

Content marketing is, by definition, a form of marketing to your audience. When people are listening to what you have to say and develop a rapport with your brand, then you can tell them about your products, services or special offers.

Considering the historical seller-consumer dynamic, there is, in many cases, an inherent distrust of the brand by the consumer. However, if, through your content strategy, you can build that trust by showcasing that you really do care and really are a brand that your consumers can relate to, there is a much greater likelihood that your audience will listen, and maybe even consider your product or service.

Your sales position needs to be in line with the issues that connected you to your audience in the first place. Maybe it is something as simple as a donation to a worthy cause from the sale of certain products.

Is there an example that showcases both these concepts?

Say, for example, there is an office products retailer than develops a content strategy around recycling. Much of the content that is shared with their audience relates to green practices and recycling.

After some time, their content begins to go viral, as their target audience – businesspeople with a penchant for environmentalism –  can relate to what they share. At this point, they begin to promote one of their complimentary services: buyers can return used ink cartridges for reuse instead of throwing them away.

There is a much greater likelihood that people will listen to the sale pitch if this is the case.

The difference between content strategy and content marketing is all about the marketing side of things. While content strategy sounds a lot like it is done behind closed doors, it is actually a very active endeavor.

Brands have to devote to learning about their audience and be patient when it comes to successful content marketing. Success with the strategy is not going to come overnight. But with patience and a strong devotion to your audience, content strategy and content marketing are sure to pay off.

Have you ever considered a content strategy or engaging in content marketing? Tell us about yours in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

How to Look at Post Details on Facebook [VIDEO]

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Your post details on Facebook can give you some tremendous insights into the success of your Facebook marketing.

When it comes to marketing on Facebook, the network has come a long way. That’s not surprising, considering it is now a public company and needs to provide value to the businesses that use it.

That said, Facebook is constantly going through changes – some more drastic than others – and it is not always easy to keep up.

One of the great features that Facebook provides for marketers is the ability to look at post details on Facebook to see exactly what your audience is doing when they come across and engage with your content.

Superficially, it’s a simple feature. But when you tie it into some of the great data that Facebook Insights provides, it can be extremely valuable.

Have a look at the video below and see for yourself why the ability to look at your post details on Facebook can be a great asset when marketing your brand on the world’s largest social network.

Marketers are Moving On from ROI; Data the New Challenge

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Leveraging data is now the biggest challenge facing marketers.

social business big data leveraging dataSince the dawn of social business, one of the greatest challenges facing marketers was how they could measure ROI. It is ironic that in a field that has so long been dominated by the immeasurable – the hope that print media gets into the right hands, the dollar value of great branding – now, the most measurable feature of all was being criticized for its inability to be measured.

Marketers are now moving past this issue, particularly as they begin to understand how social media, in particular, Social Equity, can be measured. The new challenge facing marketers: leveraging data and making it actionable.

Recently, StrongView released their “2014 Marketing Trends Survey” and the results are very interesting.

What is so interesting about it?

Well, for starters, the findings seem to allude to a more evolved digital marketer. There is no longer a focus on the issues of measurability – which many social marketing evangelists would tell you was never a major issue – but rather a focus on how the vast amounts of data can be leveraged by brands.

What’s more, marketing is getting more attention. This means two things. First, on a macro scale, when it comes to business, marketing expenditures are generally a good indication of how the economy is performing. This survey found that 93% of those surveyed planned on increasing or, at least maintaining their marketing budgets in 2014, up 4% from 2013.

On a micro level, this means that the value of big data and new age digital marketing strategies is finally being recognized by businesses of all sizes. Now, the question is how to use it.

What exactly is big data?

Big data is exactly what it sounds like: it a whole lot of data. We wrote an article a little while ago detailing exactly what big data is and how it can be used by brands.

So why is it so valuable?

Well, big data provides business with insights into their audience, industry, brand and competitors that has never before been captured. There are billions of social accounts on dozens of networks out there, each capturing and publishing so much content that it is literally impossible to keep up.

It is no surprise that brands are having a tough time leveraging data.

What do you mean by leveraging data?

These endless fields of data are ripe for the harvest, but so few marketers know where to start with it. When billions of pieces of data exist out there about your industry, or even your audience alone, how can you turn it into something valuable?

Leveraging data can mean quite a few different things. First, data can be used for branding purposes. When you look at the data collected about your audience, you can position your brand – at least on social – to relate as closely as possible to them.

It can also mean more efficient marketing and advertising campaigns, both in and out of social.

Imagine knowing exactly what your audience tastes and preferences were, and having the ability to build campaigns targeted to those preferences. That is a benefit that leveraging data can have for your brand.

Again, this is much easier said than done. With so much to sift through, even the most experienced marketers are having a tough time getting a grasp on big data. That’s not their fault – this is a brand new concept, and a very exciting one at that.

What else have we learned about marketers?

The StrongView report also points out that, as per usual, there are a lack of resources to execute comprehensive initiatives. The irony here is that the biggest issue – leveraging data – can’t really be dealt with until the second major issue – lack of resources – has been addressed. But such is life.

Marketers are also looking to improve engagement, while 36% want to improve their targeting.

There are more great stats available in the summary and the report as a whole here.

So what can we expect in 2014?

It appears that data, in all its glory, will be the focal point of the marketer’s 2014. As the business world has slowly come aboard the move to social business and integrated digital marketing, it is finally time to see what great benefits these new media can have.

What are your biggest challenges when it comes to marketing right now? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

How to Track Goals in Google Analytics [VIDEO]

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Ever wonder how you can track goals in Google Analytics?

goals in google analyticsGoogle Analytics is an outstanding tool. With the right filters, goals, segments and understanding, it can be as powerful as many enterprise level softwares when it comes to tracking the success of your digital and social marketing.

But in order to get to that point, you need to know how to set the system up. Unlike many enterprise level analytics systems, Google Analytics requires quite a bit of manual labor.

While entire blogs can be (and have been) written about the intricacies of Google Analytics, this short video simply explains how to go about creating and tracking simple goals in Google Analytics. Have a watch and try setting some up on your account to see how they work.

Hint: It is best to create a separate view in Google Analytics when testing different functions in order to prevent any permanent changes or losses to your data.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc5kpNHG0tU&feature=youtu.be

6 Components to Include in Your Social Business Plan

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When developing a social business plan for your brand, there are certain components that simply must be included.

social business plan componentsAs social business becomes the norm, brands are beginning to understand that in order to succeed, there needs to be a comprehensive social business plan in place before getting started. Simply diving headfirst into social media is no longer an option. If a company is serious about transitioning into the social era, then a social business plan is a must.

While every brand will have a unique social business plan that suits their goals, there are certain components that every social business plan needs to include. These six elements should be included in every social business strategy, or at the very least should be seriously considered when drafting a social business plan for your brand.

Social Media & Strategy Audit

What does your current involvement in social media look like? In order to create an effective and useful social business plan, you first need to get a good look at what your current activity on social channels looks like, and give yourself a good criticism.

You might be doing some things right, but look honestly at your work, figure out what you want to accomplish and determine where you might be going wrong. Sometimes, this is a difficult task for a business. After all, we never like to think of ourselves as doing anything wrong. When this is the case, it is sometimes beneficial to bring in an unbiased third party to conduct the audit.

The SocialSandBoxTM

Where do you want to have a presence? Determine what your brand’s SocialSandboxTM is going to look like by evaluating major (and minor) social networks and determining how they can help you achieve your goals.

You might find that some networks are better for helping you achieve certain goals. A keen understanding of every network’s strengths and weaknesses is going to be a must-have when determining this part of your social business plan, so take your time to learn everything there is to know about the major players (and there is a lot to know).

Content Strategy

Social media is all about telling stories that people want to share with their circles. Your content strategy is how your brand awareness is going to increase and, ultimately, what is going to be the driving force behind the success of your program. Figure out what people want to hear about, when they want to hear about it and where they are most likely to pay attention. The answers are going to shape your content strategy.

Social Competitive Analysis

You are not talking in a vacuum. There are billions of conversations already taking place and there is a significant likelihood that at least a few of your competitors are taking part.

In your social business plan, you are going to want to do some research into your competitors’ social business strategies and determine how you want to stand out and what you would like to do both similarly and differently. Analyze what they have done, what they have achieved and set benchmarks that compare to your industry’s standards based on what you have observed.

Data Mining

‘Big Data’ is the buzz word of the day and it can be an invaluable asset to your business – if you use it properly. In order to leverage your data and create Responsive Branding campaigns, you are going to have to properly mine it from the right channels.

Develop a data mining sub-strategy within your social business plan in order to effectively sift through the billions of pieces of data that exist in order to pull out what is most relevant to your company.

Measurement and ROI

One of the most crucial components of any social business plan is going to be the measurement and ROI criteria. These need to be established from the beginning of your transition into a social business. In order to determine if you are succeeding, you need to first determine your key performance indicators (KPIs) and then figure out how you plan on measuring success rates.

There are a number of tools and technologies that can be used to measure the tangible results, but with some returns, you might need to get creative. What is a follower worth? Well, for example, you can determine what percentage of social leads convert, what the value of a conversion is, then apply that ratio to each new fan or follower.

There are plenty of ways to measure your success with social media. You just need to figure out first what you are measuring.

What other components do you think need to be included in a social business plan? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Some Big Predictions for Social Business in 2014

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We can expect to see social business become even more popular in 2014, and these are some of the biggest predictions for social business in the coming year.

predictions for social business in 2014Considering social business is still a relatively new phenomenon, it is constantly evolving and we can only speculate as to where it will go next. 2013 saw the rise of the concept, and these predictions for social business suggest that we can expect to see it get even bigger and more widely understood in 2014.

Mobile as the Focal Point

We saw the rise of mobile in 2013, and that trend is sure to increase in 2014. As mobile devices become users’ primary devices (around the world) the importance of optimizing your mobile strategy for search and social is crucial.

Google’s Eric Schmidt admits that mobile has now won the race for the most important medium. For brands to succeed in the social and digital space, they need to be everywhere. This no longer simply means well-placed ads. Today, being everywhere means having a comprehensive mobile strategy in place that allows customers and leads alike to reach out to your brand and start a conversation.

social business big dataBig Data into Actionable Items

A major buzz term in 2013 was ‘big data’. We all heard about it, and more and more people began to understand what it was, but leveraging big data was not on every brand’s radar. Why? Well, effectively, most brands just saw big data as a tool for large companies, and not something that SMBs could use. This will all change in 2014.

We can expect to see a major shift in 2014 towards the use of big data by brands of all sizes. At t2, we coined the term and concept of Responsive Branding, which is in effect the leveraging of big data in order to create campaigns and marketing strategies that cater to the tastes and preferences of your audience. We can certainly expect this trend to increase as (simplified) big data provides brands with insights they would have never had.

Imagine knowing what your audience wants without ever having to ask? This is where big data is headed this year.

Repercussions of Social Media Marketing Myopia

Slowly but surely, social media has become a necessity. Brands – from small to large – that want to grow can no longer ignore the importance of social. A while back, we introduced the concept of Social Media Marketing Myopia. What is it? Essentially, the concept relates to brands that refuse to adopt to large-scale change, thinking that their company or industry does not need it. The results can be detrimental.

Now that we have arrived at an age where social business is becoming the norm, we can expect to start seeing companies face the effects of Social Media Marketing Myopia. Those slow to adopt will now be forced to expedite the process and implement a strategy in order to catch up with their industry.

A Rise in the Importance of Micro-Video

Microblogging started with Twitter. Twitter bought Vine – a micro-video publishing network. After Facebook bought Instagram, Instagram introduced Instagram Video, another micro-video network. Brands have warmed to the idea of micro-video marketing and audiences have started to enjoy it as well.

In 2013, we saw brands like Dunkin’ Donuts create commercials made entirely from Vine videos. As we head into 2014, we can surely expect to see micro-video marketing increase in importance.

google plus social business predictions 2014Google+ Will Skyrocket

We have long said that Google+ can be a brand’s best friend. Why so many refuse to work with it is quite surprising. After all, search rankings are still of great importance, and we know that social signals factor heavily into improved search rankings. So, logic would suggest that the social network owned by the largest search engine on the web would be of pretty significant importance to improved search rankings.

This is going to become even more true in 2014. With the Hummingbird upgrade now in full effect and the age of traditional keyword search behind us, social and soft search will dominate the playing field. This means that signals from Google+ will become all the more important. Google has long said that they intend to shift their focus on the social layer of their model. This means Google+ (and YouTube) will be a brand and SEO’s best friend.

And there are our five big predictions for social business in 2014. What do you expect to see in the realm of social business in 2014? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

3 Resolutions for Your Social Business

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It’s the new year and time to ramp up your social business with some resolutions.

social business resolutions 2014First, let us start off by wishing everyone a very happy New Year. We hope that you enjoyed some well-deserved R&R and you’re ready to get started with a new year full of potential!

At the beginning of the year, it is customary to make a few resolutions to better our lives and the lives of those around us. Well, it’s always good to have some business resolutions in addition to those personal ones.

Below are the three resolutions that we think many businesses – whether yours is a fully operational social business or on its way – can benefit from.

Tell More Stories

Content marketing is all the rave these days. Though it is a term commonly used, it is not one that everyone fully understands. What exactly is content marketing? Simply put, content marketing is marketing through storytelling. Share content people love on as many media as possible, and watch it reach whole new audiences.

This year, a great resolution might be to tell more stories. Ramp up your content marketing and perfect it for your industry and your social business. Find out what your audience loves and create content to cater to those preferences.

Try New Media

Maybe you have a blog, a Facebook page and a Twitter account, but have always been afraid of video. Maybe you’re camera shy or don’t know what to talk about. Well, the new year is all about starting fresh, so why not give a new medium a try.

You don’t have to change the way you do business. In fact, almost nothing has to change. Try something and incorporate it into what you normally do (for example, sharing your blog posts to Facebook and Twitter) and see how it works for your business.

Who knows? You might find that the key to getting your brand out there is a new type of media you haven’t yet taken a chance on.

Be Different

A great goal is to find a way to stand out among the crowds. Do something you haven’t seen before. We’re not saying this is an easy thing to do. In fact, it’s one of the most difficult things for a business to do and it is why so many businesses have trouble expanding. But the good news is that the year just started. You have plenty of time to figure out a way in which you can be different and go out there to show your industry what it is.

What are some of your social business resolutions for the new year? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter! And happy New Year!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

10 Best Brands on Social Media in 2013

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The end of the year is all about the best of the year, and these are the 10 best brands on social media in 2013.

One of the best things about the end of the year is that the web is populated with endless “Best Of” lists to commemorate the year we have experienced. 2013 is no different. And thanks to Starcount, we have a great infographic telling us about the best brands in 2013 and how they pushed boundaries and made their mark.

Every brand on this list is recognizable, and understandably so. As icons in social business, these companies have leveraged social media in the past year to expand their reach into new markets – both domestic and foreign.

Have a look, see which brands you think did the best job on social media in 2013, and have a very happy New Year!

best brands on social media 2013

Tag Archive for: social media marketing

Case Studies: Honda

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Find out what Honda did in order to engage their audience with an innovative Twitter and Vine campaign!

Case Studies honda vine campaignThere are a few topics that generate more engagement than most. Sometimes it is food, other times it might be the weather. But one thing that is sure to generate conversation is when you ask a group of people to vent their frustration with a certain issue.

For Honda, that issue was old cars. The car company asked fans to share why they want a new car on Twitter with the hashtag #WantNewCar.

What did these fans get? Personalized Vine video responses from real Honda employees, live and in person. This opens the door to a lot of potential fun, and humanizes a brand as large as Honda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PJze9Ly-1Wo

The campaign caught on and the results were great for Honda. So what can marketers learn from this Twitter and Vine campaign?

Be Innovative

No, Honda is not the first brand to use Vine in a social media campaign. However, there have not been many, and this is one of the more unique uses of the video app to date.

Every time you create a campaign, think of a new use for an old tool. It’s qualities like this that make a campaign exciting and encourage users to participate.

Expand Your Reach

If Honda had simply relied on getting the message out by tweeting about it, they likely would not have seen the same level of participation and success that they did.

Using Twitter, incorporating Vine and creating a simple, fun and short YouTube video to promote the campaign really helped it succeed. Streamline the process and your campaign by reaching as broad an audience as possible. This is often a trait of successful campaigns using social media, as it certainly should be.

Engage Your Audience

By reaching out to their fans and followers and encouraging them to participate in the campaign, Honda made a marketing campaign seem like a fun little project.

Find a way to involve your audience and you stand to find a lot more success. Think of a stand-up comedian. The one that stands on stage and tells knock-knock jokes might get a few laughs, but when a comedian engages the audience, asks questions, and even (on occasion) pokes a little fun, people tend to appreciate the performance quite a bit more.

Personalize Your Campaign

And how can you really get the most out of engaging your audience? Personalize the campaign for those that are loyal enough to engage back!

Honda chose to create personalized responses using video to respond to the participants. Even a gesture as simple as personalized thanks, or acknowledging your fans will go a very long way. People like to be noticed; that’s one of the driving forces behind the success of social media. Keep that in mind when putting together a campaign.

Honda did an excellent job both in the planning and execution phases of this campaign. It was well thought out and the results make that clear.

What is the most innovative campaign using social media have you create or been a part of? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

How To Promote Events on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

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What are a few great ways to promote events on social media?

We have all seen it before: emails with invites to webinars, lightboxes inviting you to a hangout, or Facebook tabs promoting a physical event. There is no shortage of ways to promote events on social media. There are, however, certain best practices that should always be exercised when doing so.

The folks at digital event planning company Eventility put together an excellent infographic that lays out the Dos and Don’ts of event planning on social media, and they are right on the money.

While many of us have probably been on busy webinars wondering, “How did they get all of these people to show up?”, there are plenty more out there with few attendees. So why are some more successful than others? Yes – the reputation of the host has something to do with it. But the real success lies in planning and effectively promoting your event!

Take a look at the infographic to see what steps need to be followed in order to properly promote events on social media.

Have you ever planned an event with the help of social media? Did you implement these steps and tips? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

promote events on social media

Social Equity: Guest Blogging

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How can guest blogging add value to your business?

guest blogging social equityGuest blogging is becoming more common practice in the world of online content development, and for good reason. Guest blogging offers certain benefits to your business that few other practices do, and those benefits translate into significant value added in terms of Social Equity. But before we dive into the great value that guest blogging brings to your business, we should probably understand what guest blogging is.

As a site or blog owner, you have the burden of constantly populating your site with new, engaging content that readers (and search engines) want to see. This may sound easy enough, but managing both your blog and your business can sometimes become overwhelming, and while a blog is a tremendous business tool, it sometimes unintentionally falls by the wayside.

Guest blogging offers business and blog owners an opportunity to invite outside writers from within their industry to post relevant content to their website. There is a reciprocal benefit in that guest bloggers can build up their portfolio and increase links back to their own sites while blog owners can have fresh, insightful content loaded to their blog while having third parties promote their website (and, essentially, their business).

So where is the value added from guest blogging to your business?

Link-Building

Traditional link-building is time consuming and can be quite tedious. There are companies that have been built entirely on offering this service to other businesses that simply do not have the time to do it themselves.

Guest blogging is a great way to go about link-building as your guest bloggers are happy to link to your content on social networks as well as their own websites. This saves time and money while providing you with a great service to promote your company.

Authority Building

It takes a very good blog to attract high quality guest bloggers. And while not every blog is willing to accept outside bloggers, those that are want only the best.

If your business blog has the clout to attract industry and thought leaders to share their insights, it bodes well for your blog and your business. Essentially, a guest post, though in a way self-serving, is an endorsement by that blogger for your company. That builds your business’s authority and, subsequently, your Social Equity.

New Brand Advocates

When a blogger shares content to your website, he or she is not going to keep it a secret. They, in all likelihood, will be going out there and promoting it as if the site was their own!

Garnering brand advocates is among the most difficult things to do in marketing, but when you do, you have struck gold. Guest blogging creates pseudo brand advocates as the aftermath of their post being published is, usually, heavy promotion of your site by third parties.

Guest blogging is an excellent tool and can add significant value to your business. To inquire about guest blogging for t2Social, click here.

Does your blog offer guest blogging? Have you every been a guest blogger? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Case Studies: Intel

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How did Intel subtly promote their new processor to Facebook users?

Case Studies intelCreating interactive campaigns has long been an excellent way of engaging your audience and driving users to a landing page, your website or a store. It also makes for a great, open and shut Case Studies. However, launching a campaign targeted at Facebook users to build brand awareness is a little more difficult, but Intel managed to do it right.

In 2011, Intel was preparing to roll out their all-new i5 processor. Naturally, this was intended to be the next generation in computer hardware, and they wanted people to know about it. Knowing that showing was much better than telling, the marketing team at Intel decided to put together the ‘Intel Museum of Me‘.

If social media has taught us anything, it is that we are all, to a certain degree, self-obsessed. In order to keep their brand at the forefront of your mind, Intel leveraged that fact and gave you your own museum, something that, quite frankly, is hard to look through only once.

Now, not every marketing budget will allow for such a vastly intricate and impressive campaign to be put together. However, there are surely a few things that marketers can learn from the great work done by Intel to promote their brand to the Facebook audience.

Sometimes the Soft Sell Works Best

The Intel i5 logo pops up at the very end of your museum tour. It is hard to understand where Intel fits into all of this, but it all comes together right at the end. And it leaves you with enough chills to keep the brand in mind for a lot longer than the 3-minute video.

The soft sell can often be the most powerful. Relate your brand to your audience on a personal level and they will remember your name.

Connect with Your Audience

This does not mean connect with them on Facebook or Twitter (well, do that too) but rather really connect with your audience. Give your campaign that personal touch and make each member of your audience feel like it was designed exclusively for them. This small gesture will go a long way when it comes to keeping your brand on the forefront of their minds.

Go Beyond the Brand

Much like the first tip above, your campaign should sell the brand by adding value to your audience’s experience. While touting your expertise, the benefits of your product over another or some other value added from your product or service might work well when it comes to one-time sales, brand loyalty is invaluable and benefits your business in the long-run.

Explain how your brand adds value to your customers and showcase that value with your campaign. This will go a very, very long way.

If you have no yet experienced the ‘Intel Museum of Me‘ we really encourage you to have a look.

What other lessons do you think marketers can learn from this Case Studies? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Social Media: Week-in-Review, July 6, 2013

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We hope you had a nice 4th of July! In case you missed some of the topics we covered this week, here is the social media week-in-review!

LinkedIn Facts & Figures 2013 [INFOGRAPHIC]

LinkedIn can be a fantastic resource for networking and increasing your clout in the business world and your industry, but where are the benefits to LinkedIn in numbers? This excellent infographic does a great job of showcasing where the benefits are to LinkedIn for business!

content to post on facebook6 Types of Content to Post on Facebook

Everyone knows the Wal-Mart brand. But not everyone realizes that thanks in large part to their content sharing strategy, they have built the largest US-based audience on Facebook. Find out what 6 types of content Wal-Mart has shared in order to reach these unprecedented levels.

4 Tips for Tumblr Beginners

Tumblr is an excellent network and growing considerably every day. There are several opportunities to engage with niche audiences and grow your presence both on social media and online. For beginners, the network can be a little intimidating, so we have put together 4 tips that all Tumblr beginners should be aware of!

Case Studies: SmartPak Equine

When one thinks of a Case Studies, an online retailer for equestrian products is not, in all likelihood, the first company that comes to mind. However, with a set of risky event-triggered email campaigns, SmartPak Equine proved that inspiration and success can come from anywhere! Find out what SmartPak Equine did in this week’s Case Studies!

social bookmarking your business redditSocial Equity: Social Bookmarking Your Business

Social bookmarking was among the first forms of social media, and popularity for the activity has not slowed. There are still tens of millions of people using social bookmarking sites every day and a virtually endless supply of content being fed to these networks. Find out how social bookmarking sites add value to your business in this week’s Social Equity segment!

Be sure to check out our recently launched YouTube channel! Have a look through some of these great articles and enjoy the rest of the long weekend!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Case Studies: SmartPak Equine

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Equestrian products is not the first category to come to mind when one thinks of Case Studies, but SmartPak Equine proved that a proper strategy can work anywhere.

Case Studies smartpakSmartPak Equine – an equestrian products company – uses triggered emails to drive sales, and though it may not be the most conventional use of the platform, they have seen some tremendous success.

Before getting into the campaigns that make up this Case Studies, it is important to understand what triggered emails are. Unlike conventional automated “Welcome” or “Thank You” emails, event-triggered emails are sent out when an action or event prompts the email. For example, if I have an account, am loading products into my cart for an order and get distracted by a phone call causing me to abandon the order, an email will be sent to me that allows me to return top my cart and complete the order.

This is not always a preferred method by consumers – some find it a little too aggressive. However, SmartPak Equine noticed that their audience was responding well to these emails. Specifically, they were seeing a high level of engagement and conversion with three types of event-triggered emails: shipping reminders, product review reminders and abandoned cart reminders. (For full details on each of these three campaigns, read a breakdown here.)

These three types of triggered emails prompt further engagement with the brand’s website, encourage additional purchases and maintain brand awareness with customers to increase loyalty.

The results of this potentially risky approach has been a 28% open rate, a 5-6% clickthrough rate, a surprisingly high 11% conversion rate and a revenue per email nearly three times higher than conventional, manual email marketing.

So what can marketers learn from these event-triggered campaigns and the successes SmartPak Equine has garnered?

Understand Your Audience

This is not an email strategy that will work with every type of industry. SmartPak took the time to understand their audience, realize how niche they were and create a strategy that would appeal specifically to them.

It is crucial that you understand what your audience wants and how they interact with your brand before putting together a campaign – particularly one as aggressive as this.

Keep Your Audience Coming Back

Of the three most popular campaigns described above, two focus heavily on maintaining brand awareness with existing customers. Retaining clients and maintaining a relationship with them in order to keep them coming back is important to the long-term success of your brand. In order to ensure that this happens, you cannot rely entirely on the customer; you need to take some initiative.

Talk to your audience and customers (however and wherever possible) in order to keep your brand in mind next time they are looking to buy.

Don’t Pretend You Are Not a Business

The goal of every event-triggered email sent by SmartPak is sales. The results? 175% more revenue and 83% higher conversion rates. Social media is about being social and talking to your audience, that’s true. But a conversation will not keep you in business unless it leads to sales.

Make yourself human, talk to your audience and engage wherever you can, but use these conversations as a means of driving business.

SmartPak implemented all of these strategies and their efforts paid off handsomely.

Which of these tips do you think is most important to generating success with social media or email marketing? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter and have a happy 4th of July!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

4 Tips for Tumblr Beginners

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There are certain best practices Tumblr beginners need to be aware of in order to take full advantage of the social blogging network.

social equity tumblr beginnersTumblr beginners might not know exactly how to use the network; it is not the most familiar territory and certainly does not feel or operate the same way most other social networks do.

Tumblr is a social blogging platform that allows users to share content that appeals to them on a customized, fully social blog. Sounds great, right? Well, in order for Tumblr to work for you, it is crucial that you follow certain best practices. Otherwise, your blog is just one of the tens of millions with little activity.

Tag Your Posts

Tumblr tags are an excellent way of increasing your post’s visibility. At the bottom of your post (shown below) you will find an area in which to add tags. Take advantage of this the same way you would tags on a standalone blog post. People can search for tags and categories on Tumblr, and the more well described your post in tag-form, the better the chances that people will find your content.

tumblr beginners tips

Diversify Your Content

One of the great features of Tumblr is the ability to share several types of content. Your posts can be as simple as a single image or a quote from your favorite author or as complex as a step-by-step explanation of functionality of a particle accelerator.

One key thing to remember, however, is that you should aim to share a diverse selection of content (all related to your blog’s theme and tone) in order to engage as broad an audience as possible. You might have a small group interested in the process of particle acceleration, but be able to broaden your reader base with an album of some impressive, research-grade particle accelerator images.

tumblr beginners tips 2

Social Sharing

You’ll notice in the image above (in the tags section) that there are small icons under your post for Facebook and Twitter. Now, this might not apply to all of your posts (you don’t necessarily want to duplicate other posts on Facebook or Twitter) but in order to streamline your social media marketing, you should consider sharing the content you post on Tumblr to your other social networks.

This is a great way of promoting your Tumblr blog and quickly building your readership.

Be Social!

Tumblr might be a blog, but it is as much a social network as Facebook or Twitter. You should be re-blogging (sharing other people’s content to your own blog) and commenting on other blogs the same way you would on Facebook.

Being social is the goal of Tumblr, and it is also a great way of increasing your own exposure on the network.

Though there is a lot more to Tumblr than these 4 simple tips, these are must-dos for Tumblr beginners in order to get the Tumblr activity off the ground.

Do you use Tumblr for social blogging? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Social Media: Week-in-Review, June 29, 2013

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In case you missed some of the topics we covered this week, here is the social media week-in-review!

The Perfect Post on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

To call anything ‘perfect’ is a little overzealous – particularly when it comes to social media. However, there are certain features that should be a part of your posts in order to generate higher clicks, engagement and conversions. Take a look at what makes up the ‘perfect’ post on different networks in this great infographic!

features every blog post should have4 Features Every Blog Post Should Have

Every blog post is going to be a little different, but each of them should have a few things in common. The four features listed in this article will help build your audience faster, develop loyalty with your readers and give your blog that extra edge to help build your business.

Instagram Video or Vine? Which Social Video Tool is Better for Business?

Recently, Instagram released their version of Twitter’s Vine: video. While the two have some similarities – the ability to create micro videos, for instance – there is a world of difference between them. So which one is better for business? Take a look at this comparative evaluation to see whether Instagram Video or Vine is better for your business!

engage an audience Case StudiesCase Studies: H&M

While there are critics out there who claim that Google+ is a ghost town and has no value for business, the fact of the matter is that Google+ can do wonders for your business, and H&M is a clear example of that. Find out how the brand engaged a massive audience of a million users (and growing) on Google+ in this week’s Case Studies!

Social Equity: Reputation Management on Social Media

The ability to manage your reputation online can mean a lot of added value to your business. With proper reputation management on social media comes the ability to find brand loyalists where you didn’t know you had any and prevent crises from getting out of control or even happening altogether. Find out how reputation management adds value to your business in this week’s Social Equity segment!

Be sure to check out our recently launched YouTube channel! To all our Canadian friends, have a wonderful long weekend and Happy Canada Day! Have a look through some of these great articles and enjoy your weekend!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Case Studies: H&M

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How did H&M use Google+ to captivate and engage an audience?

engage an audience Case StudiesThere are several critics who claim that Google+ is not a place to engage an audience, and that it is a veritable ghost town in the social media world. Like any form or medium of marketing, it is not necessarily a question of where you are, but how you plan to use your surroundings to your advantage. That is fashion retail giant H&M’s approach to Google+, and they have managed to engage an audience of nearly a million users.

There are a few key features that make H&M an interesting case study for Google+. First, there is the close, personal attention H&M pays to its fans on the network along with the exclusive content they share. Second, H&M monitors their data closely and modifies their Google+ strategy. And third, H&M integrates several key add-ons that help the brand generate business from the network.

Engagement

The devotion H&M has shown to its fans on Google+ should be noted by any marketer looking to build brand loyalty. H&M fans on Google+ are encouraged to share content, which the brand then features on their page.

Conversations are also started by the brand, and visual content is shared on a regular basis in an effort to drive fans to landing pages. Furthermore, much of this content is exclusive to Google+.

It is important to reward your fans. We discussed this recently in an article about Cadbury’s big ‘Thank You’ to their fans. The difference with H&M, however, is that the fashion brand focuses on thanking their Google+ fans with exclusive content. This is an excellent way to engage an audience, and H&M has the numbers to prove it.

Data

The ‘Ripples’ feature on Google+ can be one of your most powerful weapons in developing a strong Google+ campaign – if you know how to use it.

H&M monitors the data in the backend of Google+ in order to understand how, where and when their content is being shared and make the necessary modifications to their strategy in order to ensure that their engagement and share rates remain high. Any marketer will tell you that data and reporting will make or break a campaign. It is important that whenever possible you examine the data you have, and ‘Ripples’ are a powerful feature on Google+.

Integration

Did we mention that Google+ is owned by Google? H&M realizes that and they integrated their AdWords campaigns with their Google+ efforts. The results? Only a 22% CTR (click-through rate) uplift. Not too shabby.

It is important to streamline your processes wherever possible. If the whole machine is functioning together, you stand to produce far better results than if every part is trying to work on its own.

Do you actively use Google+ to engage an audience? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Social Media: Week-in-Review, June 22, 2013

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In case you missed some of the topics we covered this week, here is the social media week-in-review!

How to Properly Promote Your Blog [INFOGRAPHIC]

You might have written a great article, but if you are not properly promoting your content after it has been published, it is going to be very hard to build up a loyal audience. Luckily, there is a great checklist of actions to take to properly promote your blog in this detailed infographic!

social media week in review5 Ways to Improve Your EdgeRank Score

The Facebook EdgeRank algorithm is one that is both mysterious yet relatively well-understood. There is one common motif that marketers should all be aware of, however, when it comes to the Facebook EdgeRank algorithm: engagement. Find out how you can improve your EdgeRank score with these 5 helpful tips!

4 Tips to Help You Manage Your Online Reputation

Managing and monitoring your online reputation is now more important than ever. SEO, social media and monitoring the web are all crucial to reputation management, and there are few key points to keep in mind when monitoring your reputation online. Take a look at these 4 tips to help you efficiently manage your online reputation!

Case Studies vestasCase Studies: Vestas

Creating a winning social media campaign involves several steps, the two most important of which are planning and cohesiveness. Vestas – a wind-energy provider – proved that big or small, there are benefits to social media marketing for all companies. Take a look at what Vestas did on LinkedIn in this week’s Case Studies!

Social Equity: Targeted Campaigns on Social Media

There was a time in the world of marketing and advertising when a few carefully placed television spots meant reaching 80% of your targeted audience. Those days are gone and now marketers and advertisers need to find more creative ways to reach their audiences. Luckily, the ability to create targeted campaigns on social media provides such an opportunity, and adds value to your business. Find out how targeted campaigns are so valuable to marketers and advertisers alike in this week’s Social Equity segment.

Have a look through some of these great articles and enjoy your weekend!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

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