Create Business Connections on Google+

So you have a Google+ Account? Now what?
Be sure to create a profile including your name, occupation, and education, along with your interests and places you have lived. Having a complete profile will increase interactions for you and will make it much easier for other Google+ users to find you. Use the “Suggestions” found in the right hand column to discover more people you are likely to know or share similar interests with.

Create differentiated content – don’t simply post the same things that you post on Twitter and Facebook. Remember to play to your company’s strengths and do something different to gain the attention of other users

It is important to spend some time commenting and “+’ing” on the streams of people that you would like to create connections with. Become an active member of Google+. The more you partake in Google+, the most other users will “Circle” you and start sharing content with you.

Google+ Local Substitutes Google Places
Google recently announced that it is replacing Google Places with Google+ Local pages. Consumers now have the ability to view more in-depth local business data, along with Zagat ratings, for a richer Google search experience. It will also offer Google+ users the ability to submit their own reviews and view what places their friends are visiting.

This new version allows local businesses to upload photos that will show up on the Map, along with special offers to invite users to visit their company.

5 Tips for Using Google+
1.    Build circles, big and small
2.    Create a memorable “About” Tab (so that more people add you to their circle)
3.    Join as many Hangouts as possible
4.    Give attention-grabbing posts a “+1” (so you can meet new people who share the same interests)
5.    Honor your clients and customers, rather than only promoting your business

How To Use Google+ For Business

Is your business on Google+ yet?
Studies show that Google+ is the 2nd largest social platform with 359 million active users and has grown 33% in the past year. Google+ is becoming a social media giant, where users can share content and increase the chances of their information appearing on the first few pages of Google's "search results."

So where do you begin?
Use the "Find People" search box to explore names, companies, topics, and places to discover people you may know. Once you have connected with other users, create groups for your new contacts called "Circles." No one can see which circle you put them in; it is simply a way to personalize your stream. Create a "Bookmark" or "Favorites" circle to save preferred posts.

Most importantly for businesses is the +1 button. This is a great way to show your approval of a contact's post and effectively endorse their photo, video, or other content as a quality piece of information. This could also lead to more people adding you to their circles.

 
What are the benefits of having a Google+ Account?
You can use the Communities feature to interact with potential customers, people of interest, and influencers. This feature allows groups to form around common interests.

I like the "Hangouts" feature best because it is something completely unique to Google+ where you can create a panel discussion for business meetings or demonstrations by simply using your webcam. Save your recorded hangout videos and share them on your website, YouTube channel, or Google+ profile.

Any content that your business shares on your Google+ page will show up in related Google searches. This could dramatically boost your company’s online search ranking.

Five Tips on How and Where to Find Useful Content for your Blog and Social Media

 

I hear it all the time: how can I consistently come up with content for my blog and social media sites?

 

If you're looking to attract prospects and customers, useful content that includes potential solutions will help you develop a reputation as a reliable resources and expert in your field.

Content marketing can be challenging on many levels, from producing quality content that appeals to your target audience to developing enough new content on a regular basis.

Plan and create content based on what you think will entice your audience to engage.

Daily Business
As you go about your typical work week, keep a list handy where you can jot down content ideas that cross your mind. So many things, such as work challenges or mistakes, can make for great content if you're on the lookout.

Your Clients
How are you solving customer problems? You offer tips, suggestions and techniques regularly- how can you turn that information into a blog or a post?

Poll Your Social Media Followers

Ask your social media followers and blog readers what type of information they want to learn more about.

Google Alerts
Set alerts for words or topics related to your industry or niche. By monitoring the news and other sources, you can find new ideas and inspiration.

Twitter

Use your Google Alert words in a Twitter search. Twitter Hashtags (word or phrase with the # symbol in front of it) are a good way to find trending information on specific topics.

Share your sources of inspiration for content!

How to Use Custom Facebook Tabs for Marketing

If you're using a Facebook Page for business, are Facebook Tabs part of your marketing strategy?  The Tabs (or Apps as they're sometimes called) are the row of boxes under the Cover Photo that allow you to give your followers are better experience on your Page (only four show up in the top row but click the small arrow to the right of the boxes to see up to twelve).  Drive traffic to Tabs through your News Feed or your ads to make your campaigns more productive.

Promote Your Brand and Campaigns
Create a Tab that prompts visitors to "Like" your Page in order to download information, enter a contest or see a video. Use Tabs to make special offers that tie in with your current campaigns. I've seen restaurants drive traffic to a Tab that offers a free appetizer for all who "Like" their Page.  Link prospects directly to your custom Tab through your Facebook ads, Tweets or other social media posts.

As I did on my Facebook Page, use Tabs to build your email list. My "Join My List" Tab encourages all my Facebook visitors to sign up for my marketing tips emails. To encourage action on other social media pages, see how I set up a Tab that links to a sampling of my Twitter account and encourages people to follow me there too. 

Tabs can be used for almost anything.  See how brands like Coca Cola and Target use Tabs for creative ideas.

Check out applications such as ShortStack which let you easily create your custom Tabs to meet specific needs.  Or let us help you incorporate Tabs into your next marketing campaign.

Are You Blogging Yet?

For those of you who aren't blogging yet, what are you waiting for? 

If your business is committed to social media marketing then a blog  (a page on your web site) should be an integral part of your marketing plan. 

Your blog is an easy way to frequently share your ideas, knowledge, promotions and other useful information.  It's much easier to post a blog entry than update content on your web site. And if you're positioning yourself as an expert in your industry, a blog is the perfect place to reinforce that notion. 

Many people ask, "What should I write about?"  With some planning, it's easy to identify topics and ideas by simply paying attention to the questions you get asked every day.

Stop putting off  the launch of one of the most important, inexpensive components of your marketing. 

To get started, contact Jocelyn today.

Testimonials: Let Your Clients' Satisfaction Work for You

When it comes to marketing, there's nothing more valuable and credible than sharing what satisfied customers have to say about your business. Testimonials are an effective way to build interest in your products or services.

Your prospects are interested in hearing the first hand experiences of your clients and understanding the specifics of how you helped them.  Here are some ideas on how to obtain and use testimonials in your marketing:

·         Make it a regular practice to follow up with clients regarding their satisfaction with your services or products.  When the feedback is positive, ask for a few sentences describing the value of their experiences.

·         Show an example of a valuable testimonial to get the client started. Or draft a testimonial that your client can revise or simply approve.

·         Ask for permission to use the testimonial in your marketing campaigns.

·         Use the name, title and company name of the client offering the testimonial for credibility.

·         Collect multiples testimonials and use them in your print and online campaigns including social media.

·         Include a headshot of the person offering the testimonial to maximize it's effectiveness!

Facebook: Pages for Business vs. Personal Profiles

I've recently come across clients, prospects and business associates who are contemplating whether or not to use their Facebook personal profile for business purposes. While it can sometimes be cumbersome to maintain more than one page, there are many reasons and benefits to using a Facebook Page for business.

If you are using your Facebook personal profile to promote a business you could risk having your page shut down by Facebook (it's in violation of their rules). But you're also missing out on the tools and capabilities that are only offered to Pages for business. Here are a few:

1. Facebook Insights

Facebook provides a lot of data to help you analyze how well you're reaching your fan base, the best times to post and which content gets the best response, just to name a few things. But Insights are only available for Pages, not Profiles.

2. Advertising

If your posts are only reaching a small percentage of your fans, Facebook offers Pages various advertising options. Even with a limited budget you can get greater engagement from your fan base through advertising via Promoted Posts, Marketplace Ads and Sponsored Stories.

3. Facebook Offers

For Pages with over 400 fans, create an offer (a special deal or promotion, for example) that can be redeemed online or in person. Limit the number of offers and set an expiration date. When someone takes advantage of your offer, all of their friends see it creating a viral effect. This is great for both product and service based businesses. 

4. Schedule Future Posts

Did you know that you can set up content to post at future dates and times with a Facebook Page?While many people use third party tools to do this, you can now schedule future posting from within Facebook.

5. Manage your Page with Admins

Give employees or social media consultants access to help manage your business' Page by making each of them an Admin. With Profiles, you must give out your personal login and password in order to give access to your page.

There are many other benefits of using a Page for business vs. using a personal Profile. Click here for more information on Pages from Facebook.  Comment here with your thoughts.