The Art of Selecting Top-Notch Curated Content for Facebook Page Marketing

If you’re looking for ways to improve your Facebook page, one option is to focus on the quality of the content you share. This means sourcing or creating content that is interesting, useful, and engaging for your audience.

One way to ensure that the content you share is top-notch is to curate it. Curating content simply means finding and sharing the best content from other sources. This can be a great way to supplement your own content and provide your audience with a steady stream of high-quality content.

Publish the curated content on your page and study your statistics very carefully.

• Which of your posts gets shared the most?
• Which ones get commented on the most?
• Which ones get liked the most?

Pick out these winning pieces of content. Then look for related or similar types of curated content and publish those on your site.

How to Pick the Best Content

It’s one thing to say that you’re going to pick the best content your competitors have, it’s another to actually do it the right way. The big danger here is you’re going to be using your opinion as to what “the best content” means.

What’s the Winning Strategy?

People don’t care about what you like or don’t like. What they care about is what they like. So, how do you use this as a winning strategy? It’s actually pretty simple.

• Look at your competitors’ Facebook pages and scan through their posts. Which of their posts is the most popular? Which of their posts gets shared a lot, gets the most likes, or gets the most comments?
• Pull the link for those posts and post them on your website. See if you get the same level of engagement. If you do this enough times with many different competitors’ contents, certain patterns emerge.

You would quickly realize that the audience you’ve built up to this point is more likely to engage with certain types of content than others. You figure out what works and you ditch everything else. Focus on the stuff that works, and then you scale them up.

You publish more of it and eventually, you come up with your own version. It’s not a question of hunches or guesses. You have to look at objective indications of popularity such as page likes, comments, shares, and other types of engagement.

If you do this right, you will be able to put up a fairly compelling Facebook page that can lead to conversions later on.

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If you want more free traffic from Facebook then the best way to do this is to increase the amount of engagement that you get with your posts. Engagement is an action that a Facebook user takes with respect to your posts. The most popular forms of engagement are commenting, liking your posts and sharing them but engagement can take other forms such as clicking links and tagging you in other posts. All of this engagement helps you to improve your organic reach.

• Perfect Posting Times – It is just common sense – if you add your posts at the times when your audience is the most active then you significantly increase your chances of getting more shares, likes and comments. Fortunately, there is data-driven research to help you identify the best social media posting times so that you can align your posting schedule with these. Read more.

• Fan-Centric Content – Do you give your audience what they really want on Facebook? Most marketers don’t do this and then wonder why their engagement levels are so low. Let’s say that you are a local restaurant using Facebook for marketing. Does that mean that everything you post has to be about food or drink – no certainly not! Read more.

• Identify Your Popular Posts – If you have been making posts on Facebook for a while then you can easily identify which of your posts were the most popular with your audience. By looking inward like this you can see what type and format of content really resonate with your audience. Read more.

• Get Your Photo House in Order – Facebook users will always be more attracted to good-looking visuals. The vast majority of content on the platform is image based. The reason is obvious – it is a lot more interesting than a bunch of text or a boring link. So one of the easiest things that you can do to increase your engagement on Facebook is to get your photo house in order. Read more.

• Make Responding to Comments a Priority – Research has shown that businesses that respond to comments on their posts have a lot more success on Facebook than those that don’t. A lot of the time a comment is actually a question from someone in your target audience. Other people will have the same question in their mind so by answering this you will make a lot of your audience happy. Read more.

• Align Your Website Content With What Works Well on Facebook – You want to get as many shares, likes and comments as possible on Facebook. The more shares, likes and comments you have, the more you will know that the content that you are providing is resonating with your audience. You are giving them what they want. Read more.

• Use a Compelling Call to Action on Your Posts – If you want people to take action on Facebook (or online in general) then you need to tell them what to do. Some people are uncomfortable with this but it is true and you need to do it. You need to include a call to action (CTA) with your posts. Read more.

• Use Video – Videos are immensely popular on Facebook. Facebook users consume over 8 billion videos each day. The simple fact is that users would much sooner watch a short video than read a lot of text. You could call this laziness, but often it will be preferable or more convenient for the user to consume your content in this way. Read more.

• Make Your Posts Short – Facebook users do not want to read long posts. You will get far more engagement if you keep your posts brief. If you need to explain something in detail then create a brief post and a link to your website where more information is available. Read more.

• Know What Your Audience Wants – Facebook Insights can provide you with the information that you need to understand your audience. Do not overlook this powerful resource as it can provide you with a lot of detail that you probably won’t have been expecting which you can use to connect better with your audience in the future. Read more.

• Ask Your Audience a Question – Not enough Facebook marketers do this. Facebook users like responding to questions. It’s human nature to provide an answer when you are asked a question. When you ask the right questions you will find that your audience responds with a lot of comments. Read more.

• Facebook Stories – When you create good Facebook stories you will build a stronger desire within your audience to see more of your content. Some users will spend time on your Facebook Page checking out previous posts that they missed. Read more.

Increasing your engagement is the best way to get more free traffic from Facebook. Implement these techniques starting today and watch your engagement levels soar – and your free traffic, too.

Whether you’re too short on time or just don’t want to do it, contact us and we’ll take care of it for you.

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Top Ways to Get More Followers on Instagram

Instagram is all about showing off a way of life and using glamorous-looking pictures to make your products and services incredibly desirable. While this is true though, it’s also only one part of how you can use Instagram to succeed and grow your business.

At the end of the day, you can have the most inspiring Instagram account in the world but if no one knows about it, you aren’t going to be very successful.

So, the question is: how do you go about growing your Instagram account and how do you make sure that you find the right followers? Read on and we’ll look at some of the best strategies you can use.

Integrating Your Instagram With Your Existing Marketing

Hopefully, you will already have some form of marketing and this will most likely involve a website, a Facebook account, Twitter and more.

One thing you can do right away to grow your Instagram account is to bring in visitors from those other channels. One simple way to do this is to add a button on your website that people can click in order to follow you on Instagram. This way, the more people you bring to your website, the more you will be able to grow your Instagram account. This will then also work in reverse; so that as your Instagram account grows, you are able to send more and more people back to your website!

Likewise, use IFTTT (If This, Then That) in order to publish your Instagram pictures straight to your Twitter account. You can also get plugins that will show your Instagram pictures in the sidebar on your website, thereby helping more people to see the kind of content you are sharing there.

Ask People to Follow You!

This sounds a little too simplistic to be effective but in fact, that is exactly why this is such a good strategy! One of the very best ways to get more people to follow you on Instagram is simply to ask them to go and check out your page. Just say at the end of your next YouTube video: ‘why not check out my account over at Instagram?’. You can do the same thing with blog posts.

Socialize

At the end of the day, Instagram is a social media platform and that means that it is a communication tool. Use it as such by making sure to comment on photos that other users have taken or to like them.

Research shows that Instagram users find it flattering when brands like their pictures. And chances are that when they are flattered, they will want to check out exactly who it is that likes their photos!

Influencer Marketing

One of the very most effective ways to grow on Instagram is to team up with other creators and promote each other. This is called Instagram marketing and when done well, it will give you instant access to a huge audience that the other creator has spent time growing.

If you need help with your social media marketing, let us know.

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If you’re posting regularly to an Instagram account with beautiful images and you still aren’t seeing growth, you might understandably find yourself feeling frustrated. You may think Instagram just isn’t right for your business or that you’re doing something wrong.
Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that organic growth on Instagram takes time. With that said though, here are five tips that can make a big difference and ensure you grow that bit more quickly.

• Use Portrait Orientation – Taking photos with portrait orientation is generally considered the best practice in Instagram marketing. If not portrait, you should at least choose square images. This way, your image will stay on the page longer while the users are vertically scrolling, meaning more engagement and hopefully more likes. Canva provides a preset size for Instagram photos.

• Post at the Right Time – Posting at the right time of day has been shown to be hugely important when it comes to your Instagram success. You will maximize the number of people who are awake and who are using the app. Research suggests that posting some time between 10 am and 3 pm on a weekday will net you the best results. BUT this doesn’t account for global time differences. If you’re aiming for a global audience, then posting at 6 pm GMT might just be the smarter strategy.

• Post Frequently – Ideally you should be posting 2-3 times per day. This will ensure that there is a steady flow of content on your site and that it doesn’t seem as though the page has been abandoned. What’s more though, is that posting this regularly will mean almost all of your viewers will see at least one image from you per day.

• Use Hashtags – Hashtags make a big difference on Instagram. Make sure you use them often and use them well. Use 3 to 5 hashtags and as many as 30 in order to maximize your chances of a big hit. Find the sweet spot in terms of popularity too – 30,000 is a good number of posts to see.

• Choose Your “Look” (Brand) – Many accounts are all over the place, with every image they post looking completely different and the end result being a page that has no consistency. Making sure the majority of your images have a consistent look – even picking the same filter for every photo – can prevent this issue and help people to better understand what you’re about and whether they should follow.

Use these 5 tips to find better success with your Instagram marketing efforts. And, if you ever need help with your social media marketing, just call us at (928) 692-3235 or complete the form below and we’ll contact you.

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Having a successful business online can be challenging. It can be hard to attract people who want to buy your products or services. The truth is that you have to go and find them. Marketing with social media can be a great way to do this.

Here are some effective social media tips that will make you a success.

• Update Your Company’s Facebook Profile Regulary – Set a time schedule aside every day to keep your company’s information up to date. This should be the time when you share exciting news, answer questions, or post giveaways. Never leave your customer base hanging by not posting at regular intervals on your page.

• Use Lots of Great Content When Setting Up Your Facebook Page – There is nothing worse for a consumer than going to a business page and finding almost no useful information. Take the time to answer any questions they may have ahead of time with the content you put on your page.

• Link Your Social Media Site Together – Have links from each site you maintain to all your other sites. That way if a person who follows you on Twitter also has a Facebook page, they find it and see you on bother platforms. This will increase the number of followers you have.

• Using Social Media to Advertise Your Business – If you are using your social media to advertise your business, make sure you include the link to your website. Getting people to click over to your site is a great way to inroduce them to all you have to offer.

• Keep Your Eye on the Prize – Don’t make your business page about yourself. Focus on your company, your product or your services. Keep your personal updates and information on your personal page and make sure to keep the two separate.

• Learn to Make Fun Headlines for Your Social Media Blogs – Headlines are like the front of your business. Think of interesting was to lure people to your blog. Experiment with the headlines on your page.

• Make Lists for Your Social Media Blog – To attract more people to your blog, use information that can be read quickly by your readers. The best way to do this is to compile lists. Put together things like “10 Best Places for Visit” or “10 Songs That Make You Move”.

• Maintain a Positive Perspective – Being positive is essential to making your followers feel good when they visit your page. When they feel good, they are more likely to share your page and revisit it to see what else you have to offer.

Use these tips to make your business stand out on the Internet. It will be much easier to get people to visit your website once you start putting these social media marketing tips in place. Once you see results, you’ll be even more motivated to stick with this great way of marketing.

You may also be interested in:

• Using Facebook Live is a Big Deal
• Facebook Live – What You Need to Know First
• Facebook Marketing for Your Local Business

Need help with your Social Media Marketing? Let talk!

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How to Meet Your Social Media Marketing Goals

Most advertising plans can be very expensive. This becomes a hurdle for some small businesses. Social media marketing can fix that issue. There are no costs required to create and provide good content on social media networking sites. This means anyone can take advantage of the opportunity. The focus shifts to quality over quantity.

• Use a Twitter handle that is very close to your business name or brand name. Handles like Jane7592 are very forgettable. Your name and your brand should be memorable. Consumers will look for it when they are shopping online.

• Connect your social media accounts to each other and try to secure the same name for all of them. By doing this, you will develop a greater presence on the internet as people search for you. Connecting the accounts allows people that have discovered you in one place to quickly connect to your business through other forms of social media.

• Twitter is a great way to market your company online. Manners are very important so customers don’t feel that you are being pushy or disrespectful. Be polite when talking about your company and giving out information.

• If you are looking to use Twitter as a social media marketing method, make sure that you choose a username that displays well and is easy to remember. This username should get the point of your company across. It should also be easy to remember. Don’t choose usernames like TommyXo1009. No one will remember it and it is likely irrelevant to your company’s name.

• Blogging is a great example of social media marketing. Own a blog to market your products and services to consumers. Post regularly on your blog so you can get exciting information out to your market. Remind people that you exist and so does your blog. People tend to forget about blogs that aren’t often updated. Theymoften lose interest and move on to your competitor.

• YouTube is a very popular option for social media marketing. It offers the interesting opportunity of making videos relating to your company and putting in your company’s website link or contact information. Make sure you tag each video properly and write a description that is informative as well as inviting to consumers.

Whatever your choice is for social media marketing, make sure that you use correct grammar. Remember that you are a professional who knows a lot about his or her company. Do your best to spell everything correctly and use punctuation where it is needed. A great spelling and grammar tool is Grammarly. Even the free version works well.

If you already own or are considering starting your own business, social media will create a new world of opportunities and profits that only require time and focus. Remain updated with the newest advancements in the online world and always stay ahead of the competition.

Sign up below to download your free copy of my Social Media Checklist.

You may also enjoy reading:

• Social Media Marketing and How to Use It Successfully for Business

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How to Run a Successful Social Media Marketing Campaign

The Internet is a great resource for advertising for many businesses. It offers low-cost and free methods to promote products and services for businesses. There are many different ways to advertise, one of them is social media. Here is some vital information on social media marketing and how to use it successfully.

Social media is a great tool to build trust and relationships with your customers. When marketing your business on social media, be honest and communicate with your customers. Listen to what they are saying and learn from it. Adjust your business to be more consumer-friendly.

Map Out Objectives – When starting a new social media campaign, map out your objectives and goals for participation. Make them available to all team members so that everyone is on the same page. Results from social media marketing will be more productive and better focused when all activities are aligned and working towards the same goals.

Adjust Goals – To stay on target, adjust and refresh your objectives and goals on a regular basis. It is best to re-evaluate on a regular basis and adjust accordingly.

Keep Your Social Media Audience in Mind – When you post something on your blog or update your website, write a Facebook post right away. Plan ahead and write your post in advance so that you are not rushed to do it. Remember that people subscribed to your Facebook posts want to be updated about what you are doing.

Always remember who your audience is and what matters the most to them. Post content that is applicable to them and focus your efforts in ways that keep their attention. Keep your posts relevant and of high quality so that your followers do not just skip over them without interest.

Develop Relationships – Using social media marketing strategies can be a great way to keep in contact with your customer base and develop relationships. Customers that friend you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter do so willingly. They want to hear from you. You can therefore notify them of new upcoming products, sales, or information concerning your business and industry without the fear of being too intrusive.

Many people use the Internet for advertisement. The Internet has become a primary advertising platform due to its low-cost advertising solutions. There are many ways to advertise over the Internet, including social media. Use it for your business.

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Chances are that you are already a member of at least one social media platform. It’s a great way to have a local presence. Did you know that it’s also a way that prospects are finding out about you?

Prospective clients want to know if you’re trustworthy and credible. Your social media presence will provide them with a lot of the answers they’re looking for.

This is why you need a strong social media presence:

Going Viral – Expand your reach by posting information and graphics that go viral. When people like the content you post, they let their followers know about it. Those followers share it with their followers and so on. All that sharing translates into a lot of traffic. Best of all, it’s free advertising!

Building A Strong Reputation – Be seen as a thought-leader in your industry. It gives you credibility and trust with your followers. Blogging is perfect for showcasing your knowledge and social media is a way to amplify your reputation to audiences who otherwise may not know you.

Improving Customer Service – People are not shy about voicing their opinions on social media. If you’re not active, you could be missing a derogatory remark and an opportunity to set the record straight, apologize or provide them with options to make it up to them.

Social media marketing takes a lot of time. If you cannot be active on all social media platforms you currently belong to, choose at least one that you can be. Another option is to hire a social media professional to take care of it for you.

Be consistent and active. You’ll be able to build your reputation, make a positive impression, and stop potential issues by responding in a timely manner.

Other Social Media Posts You Might Like:

Top 5 Tips for Getting Social Media Followers

4 Types of Visual Social Media Posts and the Tools to Create Them

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Over the past several years, I’ve written many blog posts about social media.  Here’s just four of them:

Simple Social Media Marketing in a Nutshell

What Social Media Platforms Are Best for Your Business?

Easily Get More Eyeballs on Your Website Using Social Media

Social Media – It All Starts With a Plan

Social media is invaluable to promoting your brand and drive traffic to your website.  Using a social media checklist will help not miss a step in the process of getting more traffic to your website.

Social Media Checklist

Be Likable – People do business with people they like.

• Be Yourself
• Use Humor
• Be Transparent
• Tell Your Story

Know Your Purpose – People do business with people they know “get” them.

• Why are you posting that piece of content?
• What are the benefits to your audience?
• How does it benefit you?

Create a Plan of Action – A great plan will help you make sure every step in your social media marketing gets done.

• Having a plan saves you time.
• Identify tasks that need to be done.
• Organize and delegate what you don’t have time to do.
• Put your plan on the calendar to be sure work gets done in a timely manner.

Follow Through – Even the best plan won’t work if there’s no follow-through.

• Respond to social media posts
• Invite them to your email list
• Invite them to your website
• Share their content

Rinse and Repeat

• Repetition is amazing if it’s working
• Check your metrics
• Change it up (create a new blurb with the same link)
• Use a link tracking service such as Bitly.  For more detailed information, set it up in your Google Analytics account.

Edit this checklist to suit your business needs and goals.  The important thing is to get started.  Be consistent.  Learn what works and what can be done better.

Grab my free report, “Top 10 Tips to Get Website Traffic from Social Media“.  Learn what, where and when to post, tips for trending, building credibility, automation, and more.

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Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram are prominent social networking tools for millions of online marketers. A vast number of business owners are using these channels to push out hundreds of thousands of links that promote their goods and services.

Do you know how to choose the best social media platform for your business? That largely depends upon the nature of your business, your ultimate goals, and which platforms your target audience uses.

Below are a few tips on how to choose the right social media platform for your business.

Consider Your Ultimate Goals
Maintaining a social media presence takes lots of effort. Knowing what you wish to achieve with your social media channel will help you choose the right platform. The end goal is to engage your customers and increase profitability (sales). Different organizations have different objectives for their social media plan. Knowing what you want to achieve will help you in choosing the best channel for your business goals.

Know Who Your Target Audience Is
Now that you know what your end goals are, you need to know who you’re trying to reach. When you know who your target audience is, it is easier to find out where they mostly hang out and what they care about. People between the ages of 18-34 hang out on newer social sites like Snapchat and Instagram. More mature people can be found on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.  Look at where your competitors invest their time and where they get the most engagement.

Find Out What Your Audience Wants
Figure out what gets your audience most excited on social media. Once you have determined what your audience wants, invest more time on the platforms they use most. You can then connect with them on their home ground. If you are unsure, see what other similar businesses are doing and what response they get from their audience. If videos seem to be doing well, you can be certain that platforms such as YouTube and Facebook will be great for your brand.

Determine What You Have Time For
Maintaining a social media channel takes lots of effort. Choose one that you will be able to do easily and consistently. Some platforms are time-consuming to maintain. Others would take less of your time to maintain. If you only have an extra hour every day for social media, keep your reach limited to one or two social networks that will make an impact. If you are short on time and think you have to be on multiple channels, consider outsourcing your social media management.

These social media for business tips will help you choose the best social media channel for your business. It’s a good idea to choose a platform that will help you achieve your business goals and reflect your business values.

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