Why You Should Be Blogging

Why You Should Be Blogging

It seems like these days everyone has a blog, and there’s a good reason for that. When it comes to online advertising, blogging is a vital resource for convertible leads. If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog but hesitant to take the plunge, here are a few big benefits for your consideration:

Drive Visitors to Your Webpage

The more high quality content that can be linked to your web presence, the better. Think about topics, questions or solutions that will resonate with your target audience. When these customers are searching the internet in need of help, your blog could be the resource they turn to. Maximize the chances of potential customers finding your business by posting evergreen content that offers actionable advice. 

Show Off Your Subject Matter Expertise

Your customers are shrewd and discerning. Before they can trust you to deliver the goods, they need to know that you are an expert in your field. Blogging gives you a cost effective platform to share your subject matter expertise. If your blog posts offer real, well-researched information readers are more likely to trust your ability to provide a satisfactory product. Your blog is a great place to offer readers the kind of insider information only learned through years being on the job. For instance, the owner of a landscaping company might post seasonal tips for dealing with pests and insects.

Increase Engagement From Customers and Followers

Posting consistently on your blog will help you stay top of mind with your followers. While your followers may not always require your products and services, but when they do need them your company should be the first option they think of. The valuable content posted to your blog will encourage readers to see your company as a resource for quality advice. 

Within the blog posts themselves be sure to include your contact information and hyperlinks to other areas of your website like your services page, about page, and any additional high-value content like eBooks and newsletters. 

For more expert tips on how to get the most out of your online presence, check our other blog posts! Better yet, contact us directly to get specific advice on how to take your web advertising strategy to the next level. 

Becoming a “Thought Leader” in Your Niche

Becoming a “Thought Leader” in Your Niche

Are you an expert in your field? Share that knowledge with your followers and grow your reputation among industry leaders with our top tips. 

What Makes a Thought Leader Special?

The term “thought leader” was first coined to recognize industry leaders with a knack for problem-solving. Thought leaders are the go-to experts. They share their knowledge freely and often take young up-and-comers under their wing. They are insightful innovators propelling their industries towards a better future. 

Share Your Know-How

To be recognized as a thought leader you will first need to prove your worth. Forget your certificates, degrees and resume, this is all about the real world advice you have to share. This is about the kind of know-how you can only develop through years and years of actually doing the job. 

To be an authority in your niche, you’ll need to start by thinking about your industry peers. What tips and advice do you have that your peers would be able to verify and connect with to some degree? 

Avoid talking to your readers as if they are completely ignorant. Start with building an audience among your peers and then expand and tailor your content for the layperson as you grow your brand. 

Diversify Your Products and Services

People consume content in different ways. Some prefer watching videos, while others prefer listening to podcasts or reading. How you share your knowledge with the world is up to you, but just make sure you give your followers plenty of options. 

Take a look at the catalogues of some of the most successful thought leaders out there. People like Amy Porterfield, Dave Ramsey and Christy Wright all offer a variety of ways to benefit from their expertise and consume their content.

Here are few distribution options to explore:

  • Blogging
  • eBooks
  • podcasts
  • online courses and workshops
  • YouTube videos and Facebook Live shows 
  • Apps, browser extensions and mobile tools

Trends and You: Post Timely Insights

Maintain your relevance in your industry as a whole by sharing your insights on timely topics and newsworthy events. Not only will you reach more people by creating content on timely topics, but you’ll also establish yourself as a resource for useful information. 

The internet has a short memory, so if you want to stay relevant make both posting frequency and crafting high-quality content your top priorities. 

Looking for some personalized advice on how to shape your brand into an authority in your field? Contact us today. We have a whole team of web marketing experts standing by to share their expertise with subject matter experts just like you!

Recent Algorithm Changes: Facebook and Instagram

Recent Algorithm Changes: Facebook and Instagram

In 2018, some of your favourite social media platforms have given their algorithms a much needed update. Facebook and Instagram have rolled out their changes with the hopes of improving user experience by focusing on what their users are actually interested in. 

Facebook Algorithm Changes

The updates to Facebook’s algorithm are placing a higher importance on what the company calls “meaningful interactions.” Users will be presented with more high quality content that focuses on posts from accounts with which users most frequently interact. The ultimate goal is to reduce spamming and increase the prevalence of content from family and friends. 

What Brands Need to Know

  • Posts that rely on engagement-baiting will see a decrease in views. 
  • Comments, shares and reactions will boost visibility for posts, while clicks, hovering and views will not register as active interactions in Facebook’s algorithm. 
  • Brands should be posting content that aims to make a genuine connection with audiences as opposed to begging for “likes.” 
  • Facebook Live videos have been shown to create meaningful interactions among users, so brands will be rewarded for posts with more live video content where viewers can connect with each other through commenting and posting reactions. 
  • Create Facebook Groups to tap into your niche and provide your followers a space to share and discuss the topics that are important to them. 

Instagram Algorithm Changes

According to Instagram, the new algorithm features a few key traits: 

  1. Interest – Instagram will take your past behaviour into consideration and show you more of the type of content you have “liked” in the past. 
  2. Timeliness – More recent pictures will appear higher in your feed. 
  3. Relationship – If you frequently comment on posts by certain accounts or if you’re frequently tagged in posts by specific accounts, Instagram will include more posts from these accounts on your feed. 
  4. Frequency – The more you open Instagram throughout the day, the higher the chance that the algorithm will show you posts in a more chronological order. Less frequent users are more likely to see posts that Instagram believes these users will “like.”
  5. Usage – Those who spend less time on Instagram will only see highlights from the day on their feeds. Heavy Instagram users will experience a feed filled with more fresh content.
  6. Following – Instagram will show you posts from a selection of accounts if you are following a large number of people, which means if you want to reduce the dilution of posts you will either have to mute some accounts or unfollow them. The posts in your feed will be curated by the app.

What Brands Need to Know

  • Changing a personal account to a business account will not get your account more views. 
  • Videos will no longer be prioritized. 
  • Using Instagram Live or posting more Instagram Stories will no longer result in more views. 
  • Posting too often will not hurt your ranking in feeds. 
  • Shadow banning is not part of the algorithm, so your posts will not be hidden for using too many hashtags. 

For more hot tips on managing your social media presence, check out the other posts on our blog.

Top 4 New Social Media Tools for Handling Your Online Presence

Top 4 New Social Media Tools for Handling Your Online Presence

In 2018, there are a plethora of social media tools to choose from. While Buffer and Hootsuite remain the most popular management applications for social media among businesses, there are some newer tools out there that deserve your attention. 

Planable

Are you a visual person? If you are, Planable might be the right fit for you. The user interface is big on graphics, icons and symbols. Its clean, contemporary layout forgoes the need for too much text. Planable is an intuitive scheduling tool that works best for users who prefer to focus on the big picture and how all the elements of a social media campaign fit together. 

What We Love

  • Drag and drop media feature.
  • Having comments and feedback displayed right next to posts to improve workflow.
  • Integration with post enhancers like emojis, Gifs, hashtags and more. 
  • Built-in review feature that allows collaborators to approve posts right from their dashboards.

What Could Be Better

  • Monitoring and tracking tools to allow users to collect more data on engagement. 

Edgar

Meet Edgar, the tiny octopus who’s on a mission to take the work out of social media management. Edgar’s biggest draw is the queue system that recycles your existing content for reposting. Save yourself some time and get the most out of the content you already have. 

What We Love

  • Content library that stores an archive of your evergreen content. 
  • Category tags enable users to organized posting calendars by content type. 
  • Automated curation of reposts to maximize conversions.
  • Hands-off approach to social media that saves time and energy.

What Could Be Better

  • Integration with social media platforms is limited to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. According to the website, Instagram and Pinterest compatibility will be added soon.

DrumUp

This application is the perfect fit for users who are interested in maintaining a high level of posting consistency without relying on original content exclusively. Sharing and curating content from within your niche or the influencers you want to engage with is made easy with DrumUp. 

What We Love

  • Enables users to curate and share interesting, relevant and useful content directly with audiences.
  • Advanced searching tools that help users discover new content that is niche-relevant. 
  • Chrome browser extension for scheduling posts.

What Could Be Better

  • The UI is simple and minimalist, but isn’t the most intuitive. The dashboard layout would benefit from a design update to reduce confusion.

Sendible

At first glance, Sendible looks a lot like an inbox system for social media. Hidden behind the familiar layout is a powerful social media management tool that has everything you could possibly need to run a successful social media campaign. Tech-savvy business owners with a strong understanding of web marketing have much to gain with this tool.  

What We Love

  • Extensive monitoring and tracking features produces a comprehensive picture of social media campaigns ensuring a higher degree of success. 
  • A massive range of features that make this application a true all-in-one tool for social media marketing.
  • Collaboration features to ensure all team members have a say before publication. 
  • Create comprehensive social media reports with the click of a button. 

What Could Be Better

  • Sendible offers a lot in terms data collection, but to unlock those features it’ll cost you a few hundred dollars. Smaller businesses make not find this platform budget-friendly.

Not ready to take on social media management on your own? Give us a shout! SocialEyes Communications is a digital marketing agency with a roster of social media experts who care deeply about helping our clients find success with web-based marketing. 

Two Babies and a Business

Two Babies and a Business

This piece is a special one – one that is more personal than business; one that is meant to provide some insight into the passion and dedication that goes in to business growth and also, personal development. How do women entrepreneurs make it? How do they succeed? And more importantly, how do they have children, build a family and at the same time, build a business? 

It comes down to four major components: serious time management, passion, a vision and some AWESOME team members. 

As some of you may know, I originally was a 9-5 downtown commuter. I held a role at a litigation firm which required a 6am wake-up, a 25-minute drive to the subway station, a 45-minute subway ride, a 1 hour lunch break (on most days) and a hell-of-a trek home that stretched well beyond Toronto rush hour. The corporate setting taught me A LOT about organization, detail, planning, research, development and most of all, that a corporate setting was not my calling. I always had known deep down that I was the type that needed to beat to my own drum. The vision of a hustle (you know, the kind that gets you up in the morning and keeps you awake at night?)…that was what drove me.

So there I was, one month following my wedding, an intense family situation that afforded me some alone time, and a 12am lightbulb switch. Marketing, communications and the online digital movement was an industry that not only intrigued me, but invigorated me. It was also a specialized area that I spent much time practicing, … and beyond that, I knew that every person and every business required it (call me biased, but true). 

And just like that, SocialEyes Communications was born. 

That first year of business was hustle hustle hustle…and I loved every minute of it. Sooner than later, requests came in to work with me…to help grow networks, build strategy and launch campaigns. Building a team of highly qualified and talented experts was the next phase of SocialEyes…and also Baby #1. While seeking my team, I was growing a baby and was about to embark on life as a new, first-time mom. 

January 2017, my son Noah was born. The time was not easy – work and hormones were both at an all-time high. I was fortunate enough that time management was a major strength of mine and so, nap times were dedicated to client phone calls; grandmothers babysat and client meetings took place; new clients were brought onboard and new team members too. By the end of the 3rd month of motherhood, SocialEyes was now a bursting operation serving 20+ clients and receiving excellent feedback. 

Fast forward – 4 months into motherhood and a thriving business, Baby #2 surprised us. I was now not going to just be a mom of 1…but I was building a business with Baby #2 joining us in February, 2018 – just 13 months after Noah. 

How are we meant to do this mom thing, and also grow a successful business?

I cannot stress how much time management plays a vital role. They say “there’s not enough hours in the day…”… I would argue that there is. There just needs to be a method to the madness. Time blocking is beyond beneficial; the ultimate vision serves as an incentive to keep on pushing; the passion for what you are doing is key; and team members who share the same vision is the icing on the cake. These 4 components are crucial to growth, success and achievement. 

I am beyond proud to say that we have a roster of incredible clients including both national and international brands, a hard-working and dedicated team of experts AND between us all, 9 children under the age of 8. 

Motherhood and mom-preneurs have a few things in common – patience, fortitude, tenacity and perseverance.

Consistency Is Key: Top Benefits

Consistency Is Key: Top Benefits

Heavy hitting brands have an ace up their sleeve; it’s called consistency. Like a dependable friend or a reliable employee, a consistent brand is in a better position to maintain relationships with their audience. Here are a few benefits of consistency in business:

  1. Building a Top Notch Reputation

For newer brands, building a solid reputation is a huge hurdle. Reputations are built on proven track records. Right from the start, have a clear idea of your brand’s messaging. Once you are ready to commit, lock it in and follow through. 

When audiences are interacting with any part of your brand, whether it’s an email, your website or a sign on a city bus, your core branding should be easy to recognize. In the mind of a potential consumer your brand’s reputation is like its personality. Consistent branding is the foundation of a memorable personality. 

  1. Increase Client and Employee Satisfaction

Humans are creatures of habit. Your clients, no matter what demographic they fall into, are more likely to feel comfortable with your brand if they know what to expect. Any instances where you fail to meet those expectations will have a significant negative impact on client satisfaction levels. 

If you make a promise, you need to deliver. When brands consistently meet the expectations of their clients, they increase organic growth. Customers are more likely to share and recommend brands that never let them down.

Employees and your office culture can also benefit from consistency. Employees feel safer and more supported if they can predict to some degree their workplace experience. While it is unwise to offer perks or benefits that are difficult to sustain over a long period of time, employee turnover rates can be reduced by ensuring your employees have a reliable foundation at work. 

  1. Cultivate Customer Loyalty

Customers are more likely to trust brands that are consistent. Loyal customers are born when brands are attentive and fully engaged with each interaction. If audiences regard your products and your service as dependable, attentive and fair, the likelihood of repeat buyers increases. Eventually, your most loyal customers will never consider buying from other brands because they can trust your products to meet their needs. 

  1. Give Your Brand Some Structure

Ensure all aspects of your business reflect this message because customers will take notice if your sales teams and billing teams are drastically different in how they interact with customers. 

Use a style guide to outline your brand’s messaging. Create training materials instructing employees on how to be successful brand ambassadors. If your company reflects the same message and tone inside and out, maintaining a consistent and recognizable presence in the market will be easy to achieve. 

Interested in learning how to incorporate consistency into your business? Contact SocialEyes Communications today!