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7 Best Social Media Platforms for Your Digital Marketing Strategy in 2019
Social media is an essential element of a holistic and integrated marketing plan. Different social media platforms allow you to create and share content, reach specific audiences, and accomplish your marketing and business goals. Before you begin expanding your current social media marketing, make a plan. Here are some questions to help you get started:
- Who are you trying to reach?
- Where does your target audience consume content online?
- Which message(s) do you want to send your target audience?
- What is your end business goal?
Your answers to these questions will help you define your business goals and translate them into social media marketing goals. You will then be able to prioritize which social platform to use. If you are new to social media marketing, Facebook is where you should start. If you already have decent engagement on one platform, where should you go next? Most Americans are active on two to three social platforms, so why limit your marketing to just one?

Which Social Media Platform Is Best for Marketing?
1. 1. Facebook – With more than 2.27 billion active monthly users, Facebook is definitely your number one choice. Through Facebook Ads Manager, you can target users based on their location, age, gender, level of education, relationship status, job title, interests, purchase behavior, device usage, and so much more. And it doesn’t end there! Facebook allows you to create Custom Audiences to reach current customers or patients. Custom Audiences can be created from the phone numbers or email addresses you’re already collecting, or from Facebook Pixel to target people who have visited your website. To reach new customers, use Lookalike Audiences; these are created from Facebook’s insights about Custom Audiences to target users with similar online behaviors. You may think “My target demographic isn’t on Facebook,” and you could be right, but Facebook Ads Manager takes the guesswork out of it. This platform allows you to create and serve your message to the right user on Facebook, Instagram, or (through the Audience Network) across the web. As stated by Facebook,
“1 billion+ people see a [Facebook] Audience Network ad each month.”
1. 1. Instagram – Owned by Facebook, Instagram boasts more than 1 billion monthly active users and has the same advertising options as Facebook. First and foremost, it’s a visual platform, which provides you with an opportunity to showcase your business’s personality. There are a number of free tools you can use to improve your audience’s creative experience.
  2. YouTube – YouTube allows your business to post and share an unlimited amount of video content, which you can then share on social media, send via email, or embed on your website. As a product of Google, there is also an added SEO benefit of having a YouTube channel and producing video content on the platform. With more than 1.8 billion active monthly users worldwide, YouTube has essentially become the second largest search engine behind Google. When it comes to paid advertising on YouTube, it takes the lead over Facebook for video. Facebook charges your account for each 10-second view, while YouTube does not charge you until a user has consumed at least 30 seconds of an ad. According to expandedramblings.com,
“YouTube overall reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S.”
1. Google My Business – You may not consider Google My Business to be a social network per se, but this free platform offers features that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. do not. Posts are searchable via keywords, they positively affect your SEO rankings, and they provide an opportunity for backlinks. You can read more about why you should be posting on Google My Business.
2. LinkedIn – This platform is known as the primary social networking platform for professionals. You can use LinkedIn to update customers on your business, connect with industry partners, and recruit new team members. As a professional network, it is the top choice for B2B social media marketing. According to Forbes, “LinkedIn is one of the best platforms for generating leads and now makes up 46 percent of the social media traffic generated to company websites for B2B firms.”
3. Pinterest – Similar to Instagram, Pinterest is a visual platform. Pinterest allows your business to show off your product offerings, before-and-after images (great for home improvement, beauty, and cosmetic surgery industries), and curated pin-boards. As you are probably already aware, its audience is primarily female. Pinterest is an oasis for hobbyists, brides and grooms, and day-dreamers in general. Keep this in mind when sharing content. Travel itineraries, suggested packing lists, landscaping ideas, craft projects, and wedding inspiration are the bread and butter of this platform. But don’t think you’re limited to just engaging with your audience. According to Hootsuite, 87 percent of Pinners have made a purchase through the platform.
4. Twitter – Twitter is a quick-paced platform that’s perfect for sharing the latest trends or your business’s take on current events. Its audience skews somewhat younger but is split pretty evenly between men and women. Your business can participate in a larger conversation by using hashtags for trending topics. These hashtags allow you to reach new potential customers in your industry. Twitter can also be used to monitor positive and negative reactions from existing customers, and you can use the platform to provide additional customer service.
How Do You Decide Which Social Platforms to Use?

So, now that you’re familiar with the seven best social platforms for your digital marketing strategy, you should keep these tips in mind. When trying to decide which platform(s) are best for your business, first review your goals and audience, and then make a plan. Then, meet your audience where they are engaging online. Once you have started sharing on one of these platforms, analyze your efforts and look for areas to fine-tune your targeting and content strategy before jumping to another platform. If you’d like more advice on how to use social media platforms to effectively target your ideal clients, start a conversation with our experts by calling (504) 208-3900.

Whichever type of social media platform you decide to use in your marketing strategy, Search Influence has your back. Our social media experts can work with you to implement a strategy and track the campaign’s performance. Start a conversation with one of our strategists today to make the most of your social media.

Images:

Group of people using mobile devices
Reciprocity Table
Social Media Line Chart
February 22, 2019
Harness the Power of Video on Social Media

To succeed in today’s competitive environment, companies have to convince us to choose their products and services in an instant.

What better way to do that than with videos?

Let’s face it, people love videos!

Sight, sound, and motion can be a powerfully positive combination. We’ve all felt it.

Videos are a very effective marketing tool, and businesses should make the most of them on different media platforms, including YouTube, Google Ads, and social media. According to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index on Forecasts and Trends, by 2019, global consumer internet video traffic will account for 80 percent of all consumer internet traffic. And this doesn’t even include the videos we send directly to each other.

People really love videos!

We also love to share them. According to Sprout Social, videos generated 12 times more shares on social media than images and text combined.

This Is Where You Want to Be and Be Seen

To really stand out today, business owners need to find ways to stay relevant in real time. That’s where posting videos on key social media channels comes in.

Facebook

When asked why his company was making enormous investments in video on a 2017 earnings call with investors, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg replied, “I see video as a megatrend.”

Mark was spot on.

Today, over 8 billion video views take place on Facebook every day.

We encourage you to upload videos directly to Facebook, rather than sharing videos from other sites like YouTube, to boost your ability to reach potential clients organically.

Instagram

Last summer, Instagram reached 1 billion monthly active users, up from 800 million in September 2017.

Instagram and video marketing are a match made in social media heaven.

Videos on this platform can be highly effective at telling your brand’s story in 60 seconds or less. And storytelling is a sure-fire way to market your brand and create engaging content.

Hashtags are everywhere these days, from casual conversations to TV commercials, and hashtags on Instagram are a game changer. They help Instagram users discover new content and can help optimize your campaign.

Twitter

According to Twitter: “Research shows that people who view videos on Twitter are 50 percent more likely to be aware of an advertiser’s brand, and that videos on Twitter are 2x as memorable as those on other premium platforms.”

On Twitter, the length of your video is a significant consideration. Several studies have shown that a 15-second video on the platform is just as effective as a 30-second video, in terms of recall and impact. Since Twitter users are used to quick updates, it’s best to keep your video content brief.

We Are Here for You

Whether your business needs help with social media or video creation, Search Influence can handle all of your digital marketing needs. Start a conversation with one of our experts today.

Images:

Heart Hands
Mind Blown
Social Media

January 31, 2019
Meet & Greet : Your Buyer Personas and What You Should Know About Them

When you ask a small business owner what kind of customers they want to attract, it’s not uncommon to get an answer like “everyone” or “anyone who can use our service.” When you’re creating marketing content, however, it’s not often possible to create something that will appeal to every single person on the planet—some people simply won’t be interested. For example, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to try and convince a college-age renter to install a new roof. It’s a more efficient use of your marketing resources to zero-in on people who are most likely going to be your customers. The best way to do this is to create buyer personas. Doing this will help you to define exactly who you are trying to reach.

What is a buyer persona?

A buyer persona is the Everyman of your customers. It combines all the characteristics your customers have in common and puts them into one fictionalized person who represents your average consumer. The buyer persona is based on real information about your clientele, and it defines their age range, gender, income, common pain-points, and what they’re hoping to get from your product. It also combines your demographics with psychographics to build a buying character that is pretty much human.

Why are buyer personas important?

Having a well put-together buyer persona helps two people: you and your potential customer. According to a survey by Rapt Media, 63% of consumers would think more positively about a brand that gave them content they found valuable, interesting, and relevant. Whether you’re reaching out via a direct mail campaign, emails, or Facebook, no one wants to be stalked by content they’re not interested in.

By focusing your marketing efforts on your buyer persona, you’re ensuring your message gets in front of people who are most likely interested, without alienating those who aren’t.

At the same time, knowing your buyer persona means you can give your customers exactly what they’re looking for, ensuring they trust you when it’s time to make a decision. For example, if your buyer persona is an on-the-go business traveler who doesn’t want to waste time during the research stage, you can present them with content in an easy to digest infographic. The potential customer is now more likely to engage with your content and come back to you next time they need a problem solved.

How can I build a persona for my business?

Your buyer persona should be based on who your real customers actually are. You can do this by directly surveying your current or past customers. Ask them about their background and demographics, as well as more probing questions like how they heard about your product, why they bought it, how they’re using it, and what (if any) difficulties or reservations they’ve had since their purchase.

Talking directly to your customers is the preferred method, but if you’re not getting enough information, supplement it with searches on sites like Quora and industry forums to see what kinds of information people are seeking. Content Marketing Institute recommends you ask these three questions when searching: 1) What is the first thing my customer thinks of in the morning; 2) What are their last thoughts at night; and 3) Why is this so. The first thoughts they think about will reflect their daily to-dos and frustrations.

By the end of the day, they’ll start considering the macro level of what they’re doing with their life. The ‘why’ gives context to the first two questions. If you end up getting a couple of different answers for some of the above questions, that’s totally okay. It just means you probably have more than one buyer persona.

What does a great buyer persona look like?

A strong buyer persona will read much like a character description from a play or TV show. Describe Olivia Pope from the TV show “Scandal.” What does she do for a living? How old is she? Does she live in a city, the country, or a suburb? East Coast, West Coast, the South, or Midwest? What kind of clothes does she wear and what is her favorite pastime? With her line of work and hobbies, what kind of products would she be most interested in and find to be most helpful? This is a short list, but you get the picture. Buyer personas completely flesh out your customer base, creating what may look like a complete person or personality. The more detailed, the better. The sharper your assessment of your client base, the better targeted your marketing and the more likely you will attract your most likely customer.

Need an expert to help you build your buyer persona? We offer a variety of great services to target your customers and engage them online. For help creating a digital marketing campaign that speaks directly to your potential customers, contact our team!

Images:

Zoolander

Wedding Crashers stalker

Titus To-Do List

Olivia Pope

October 26, 2017
Grow Your LinkedIn Network With These 3 Optimizing Tips

With over 400 million users, LinkedIn has become a social networking must for companies large and small. While other platforms like Facebook and Twitter are commonly used in marketing and SEO campaigns, LinkedIn can have a significant impact on online visibility and SEO opportunities. Instead of neglecting your LinkedIn account, utilize it to grow your business’ traffic and network.

1. Be Consistent

For your traffic to increase, customers have to know it’s you. One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is not maintaining brand consistency across all marketing platforms. LinkedIn provides you with the opportunity to upload banners, background images, videos, and photos. Utilize all of these to tie back into your brand, logo, tagline, and color scheme.

This also applies to the written content on your LinkedIn profile. If your business’ website uses a formal tone, don’t be overly casual on your social media. This creates brand confusion and can lead to customers not connecting with you because they think you’re someone else. Don’t lose out on growing roots with a client because someone can’t figure out if your profile is the right one.

2. Engage Your Network

While you may have a lush profile, if it’s not active, no one is looking at it. It’s important to create, share, and like fresh and relevant content to your industry. Shower your followers with content at least twice a day and watch your network grow. This keeps your profile engaging as well as current. When creating or sharing content, make sure to add variety. For example, it can be good to post an interesting article in the morning and then ask an engaging question in the evening. This allows for different types of client interaction and can make a profile look more personable.

As I’m sure you’re aware, blog posts are great when it comes to a site’s SEO. By posting your company’s blog posts on LinkedIn, you not only help your profile, but you also improve your website’s ratings, which can lead to more business.

3. Let Your Keywords Shine

While your company can be searched on LinkedIn by name, it can also be found by keywords. The keywords used in your SEO campaign are the same words you should be using on your social media platforms. Your keywords should shine through your content from your posts, to your description, and to your headline. While it’s still important to stay natural, try to fit in a keyword or two in the first 156 characters of content on your profile. Google previews these first characters, and with the help of keywords, your profile can be more easily found.

By not growing your LinkedIn network, you’re leaving opportunities like referrals and website traffic in the dust. Social media platforms are crucial to interacting with current and potential clients. As LinkedIn’s numbers grow, so can yours. Make sure your profile is the cream of the crop and optimize.

Image Sources:

Devil Wears Prada Image

Aziz Ansari On Social Media

LinkedIn Superman

May 9, 2017
5 Medical Professionals Who Use Twitter Effectively and What You Can Learn from Them

With 319 million people on Twitter and 100 million daily users, it’s clear that this social media platform offers huge potential for growing a medical practice. For doctors striving to attract more patients, 42% of individuals viewing health information on social media look at consumer reviews to guide their medical decision-making. For doctors aiming to spread medical knowledge online, 60% of consumers say they trust the information in doctor’s posts—almost twice the number of people who trust information from pharmaceutical companies. And these numbers are expected to grow, as 18–24-year-olds are over two times as likely as 45–50-year-olds to use social media for health-related discussions.

Yet, in spite of Twitter’s huge potential, it can be difficult for physicians to justify taking time away from patient care to focus on social media. In the medical industry, it’s especially important for tweets to reach the most people possible in as little time as possible so that doctors can spend less time on marketing and more time on medicine.

Check out five of the most successful doctors on Twitter for some great inspiration and examples.

1. Dr. Mehmet Oz

Today, learn why potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse that should be on your daily menu: https://t.co/LA1n6ygf6g

— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) March 23, 2017

Handle: @DrOz

Followers: 4.05 million

Before you write off Dr. Oz as more television host than medical professional, consider this: He has more followers than any other doctor on Twitter. While Oprah certainly helped him gain this following, he couldn’t keep it if he wasn’t engaging his followers with the media they find valuable. Dr. Oz knows what his audience wants to read, and he regularly posts health tips, news, and advice catered to this demographic. Check out Dr. Oz’s tweets for examples of medical articles you can share to engage your own following.

2. Dr. Kevin Pho

Angry? Welcome to being a doctor. And here’s how to fix it. https://t.co/mrNT6CwhlW via @kevinmd

— Kevin Pho, M.D. (@kevinmd) March 23, 2017

Handle: @kevinmd

Followers: 151,000

Unlike Dr. Oz, Dr. Pho rose to social media stardom largely through his own savvy use of integrated digital marketing. While he also regularly posts engaging articles, with topics ranging from science to politics to personal health journeys, much of this media comes from his own blog. Dr. Pho also publishes many posts written by guest bloggers, which not only cuts down the time required to maintain an active social media presence but also offers a great opportunity to collaborate and network with other doctors online. Visit Dr. Pho’s Twitter and blog for a great example of an integrated marketing plan.

3. Dr. Joseph Kim

AMP Issues Best Practice Guidelines for
Next-Generation Sequencing-based Oncology Panel Validation https://t.co/AhITFnr54e

— Joseph Kim, MD, MPH, MBA, FACHE (@DrJosephKim) March 23, 2017

Handle: @DrJosephKim

Followers: 31,000

If you’re worrying because Dr. Oz and Dr. Pho share a lot more personal stories than cold, hard science, never fear! Dr. Kim proves that you can take a largely academic approach to social media and still become a Twitter star. His posts strike the perfect balance of career resources and medical studies, appealing to both doctors and patients. Check out Dr. Kim’s twitter feed for strong examples of how to post academic information while still keeping your following engaged.

4. Dr. Mike Sevilla

Kissing the Blarney….. Doughnut? lol Happy St Patrick's Day! #JustBeingSilly 🍩 🍩 🍩 pic.twitter.com/DV0jLs7bpa

— Mike Sevilla, MD | SalemFamilyCare.com (@drmikesevilla) March 17, 2017

Handle: @DrMikeSevilla

Followers: 26,000

Much more than the other doctors on this list, Dr. Sevilla projects a goofy, jovial personality into his tweets. He makes Family Medicine seem friendly and approachable, posting kooky holiday selfies and words of encouragement for residents going through the stressful match process. He is also a generous re-tweeter, interacting not only with other online physicians but also with local news and fundraising organizations. Scroll through Dr. Sevilla’s posts to see how to have fun with social media while still maintaining the knowledgeable persona of a physician.

5. Dr. Val Jones

Today is #WorldCancerDay Do you know the role of rehabilitation medicine in cancer care and recovery? https://t.co/yxJxYd0Qnj @AAPMR @ABPMR

— Val Jones, MD (@drval) February 4, 2017

Handle: @drval

Followers: 25,800

Women make up roughly 1/3 of all physicians in the United States, but they are underrepresented among the top doctors on Twitter. Nevertheless, Dr. Jones has fought her way to the top as a prolific author and lecturer, as well as the founder of Better Health, LLC, one of the largest networks of medical bloggers. Like Dr. Pho, she offers a great example of an effective integrated marketing plan, using her tweets to drive traffic to her blog and other writings, and her writings to provide engaging content for her Twitter following. Check out Dr. Jones’s Twitter feed and blog for examples of how to use social media to build on your professional accomplishments.

Top Takeaway

While these five physicians are great sources of inspiration, it can seem daunting to apply their successes to your own practice. If Oprah doesn’t introduce you to daytime television, where do you start?

One main takeaway from successful physicians on Twitter is targeting the right demographic. Dr. Sevilla runs a Family Medicine practice, so his ideal audience includes parents and young children. Therefore, a friendly, goofy personality is appealing. No parent wants to bring her kids to a stern, intimidating doctor. Dr. Oz, on the other hand, is more interested in an audience that watches his daytime television show. Thus, his posts feature more “popular science” topics, such as popular diets or healthy recipes.

The good news is you can easily apply this strategy to your own practice. As an expert in your field, you know what topics would interest your target demographic, be it low-sodium snack suggestions for dialysis patients or skin care tips for dermatology patients. So, post about it!

With your target demographic in place, you are well equipped to take the next steps in growing and maintaining your Twitter following. Like the successful physicians in this post, you can collaborate online with other medical professionals, or write relevant, engaging blog posts to share on Twitter as part of an integrated social media marketing campaign.

If you don’t want to go through this process alone, we can help you there as well! For a do-it-yourself approach, download “Up Your Social Media Game With This Handy Reference Guide.” It’s an infographic to equip you with insights into which social media platform and what time of day would be most effective for targeting your ideal demographic. For a more assisted approach, see how our social media services can help you.

Happy tweeting!

If you don’t want to go through this process alone, we can help you there as well! Contact an expert from our team today.

April 4, 2017
Up Your Social Media Game With This Handy Reference Guide: The When, How, and Where of Social Posting

Another year, another seemingly endless parade of social media posts gone by. If you haven’t jumped on the social marketing bandwagon yet, 2017 is the year to begin because things are continuing to go up and up. Here are some highlights.

79% of Online Adults Use Facebook

The Pew Research Center has done a lot of work tracking the social media usage of American adults. Of all platforms, Facebook has a staggering reach among adults across demographics.

Of these Facebook users, 76% check in every day and use Facebook as a way to learn about the news, local businesses, trending topics, and more. Facebook is truly on the way to becoming all pervasive, even among adults aged 65 and older.

57% of Consumers Are Influenced by Online Information

More than half of internet users surveyed said that they are influenced to think more positively of a business after reading positive reviews or comments about the business online. This means that creating a space for customers to give reviews and interacting with these reviews has tangible benefits and can convert potential customers that are lurking in the background of your social media.

Social Media Ad Spending Has Hit $35.98 Billion – and Keeps Climbing

Businesses are learning the advantages of using social media to market to their customers and using that knowledge to their advantage. Social media advertising is becoming the new normal, and we have abundant experience creating campaigns that convert. Contact us if you are ready to get started with paid ad campaigns for your institution or business.

Sources:

http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/

http://webbiquity.com/social-media-marketing/47-superb-social-media-marketing-stats-and-facts/

http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/

http://coschedule.com/blog/best-times-to-post-on-social-media/

https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Social-Network-Ad-Spending-Hit-2368-Billion-Worldwide-2015/1012357#sthash.eESedQLL.dpuf

https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Facebook-Twitter-Will-Take-33-Share-of-US-Digital-Display-Market-by-2017/1012274#sthash.0WToy3rM.dpuf

February 14, 2017
Top 10 Search Influence Blogs of 2016

The year 2016 was filled with memes, the Olympics, superhero movies, and the election. You can bet, with over 46% of people now online worldwide, there were plenty of changes to online marketing, too. If you haven’t kept up, here are the top 10 blogs of 2016 to make sure your business is poised for the #bestyearever.

1. What Happened to Facebook’s 20% Text Grid Tool?

Our Internet Marketing Team Lead, Michelle Neuhoff Boyd, created this informative blog post that eased the confusion of Facebook’s 20% text grid tool. Find out how this new rule may affect your business.

2. An Update: How to Get Rich (Answers, That Is) with Google

Not rich with money, but with Google. Over the years, Google has changed their algorithm, and our team at Search Influence is making sure to stay on top of every change. Read this post from 2015 to learn more about rich answers.

3. Getting Hands on With the New Google My Business

Having a hard time understanding the new Google My Business? This engaging blog post can clear up any confusion on listings, editing, and more.

4. Three Top Picks for The Big Idea at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week

During New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, The Big Idea picked 10 entrepreneurs’ ideas in front of a large crowd, and everyone got to vote their favorite. See the top three picks that Paula Keller, our director of sales and marketing, enjoyed the most by reading this post.

5. Email Marketing for Small Business: 9 Things Not to Do

Find out how not to email your customers when just starting your business. Originally published in 2010 by a Search Influence Alumni, read all about effective email marketing.

6. A Dentist’s Guide for Choosing Target Audiences on Facebook

Ever wondered how to market your dentistry on Facebook? This guide will help you understand the most successful dental campaigns in the industry. You’ll know what age group and interests to target.

7. Should You Be Using Google’s URL Shortener in Your Social Media Campaigns?

Are you still unsure if you should use Google’s URL shortener? This blog post talks about the benefits of using their shortener, such as the URL analytics, redirects, ease-of-use, and more.

8. Barnacle SEO – Local Search Engine Optimization for the Sam’s Club Crowd

Will Scott, CEO and co-founder at Search Influence, published this post back in 2011. Learn more about the term Barnacle SEO and which sites to trust for small businesses.

9. Nix the Wix SEO Challenge: Tips & Tricks

This post from 2015 helps you make the most out of your Wix website by guiding you on the meta tags updates, sharing your site on social media, making your site visual, and more.

10. 10 SEO Blogs You Should Be Following

Do you want to read reliable SEO blogs? Here’s a list of the most informative SEO blogs that Monica Shariffskul put together. Many of these are on my top list, too.

Be sure to subscribe to our Search Influence blog, and you’ll be the first to know when a new blog has been posted. Also, Happy New Year!

January 3, 2017
Search Influence Jobs: What Does an Internet Marketing Associate Do?

As Search Influence continues to grow, we often get asked by job applicants, “What exactly does an Internet Marketing Associate do?” So last week, I took over the Search Influence Twitter and shared my day with all of our followers. In short, being an Internet Marketing Associate on Content Team consists of a whole lot of reading, a fair amount of writing, and lots of laughter. Here’s a recap.

Our Morning Meeting

The meeting starts off sedately enough, with a breakdown of the number of tasks due for the week and for the day, as well as yesterday’s achievements. After announcements, and an overview of current projects if it’s “Tuesday Touch-Day,” it’s time for Word of the Day. Each team member takes turns presenting an interesting word to the team, and we have until the next morning meeting to submit a sentence containing that word. The word’s presenter chooses their favorite sentence, and that sentence-writer is the daily winner. The person who wins the most sentences during the month gets to wear a sparkly gold Word Wizard cape for the next month. (And yes, I won for Monday’s word and am now in the lead for the cape.)

My Annual Review

Monday was a particularly interesting day for me, since it was my work-iversary! I had completed one year at Search Influence, and after my star ceremony, when a star is added to our name banner to mark another year, it was time for my annual review. I’ve heard rumors that at other companies this is a super scary thing. But not at Search Influence. That’s because once a week, every team member meets with their manager and talks about their workload and performance. By the time reviews roll around, there are no surprises.

The Workload

Once my review was over, it was time to begin my daily workload. Content Team works with all the words that are part of an SEO or Social Media campaign. We edit website content, blogs, and social media posts all day, and write video scripts, sponsored articles, and paid ads. I work a lot on what we call ‘high-touch’ deliverables—things that require a bit more knowledge and time to complete. This includes product descriptions, LinkedIn social media campaigns, PPC ad copy, image optimizations, and site audits. My favorite, by far, is the site audit.

Site audits are the most technically oriented pieces of content we edit. A member of the Tech Team (our IMA cousins) goes through every aspect of a website and checks for things like canonicalization errors, coding issues that could confuse search engine crawlers, and site load speed. They then make recommendations on how issues can be fixed. It’s my job to go through these recommendations and clean them up, taking care of any grammatical errors, as well as reworking some sentences so they’re more clear to someone who has no idea what ‘canonicalization’ means. Site audits can be 40 pages long, so it takes a good bit of focus, but I absolutely love learning about the techy underbelly of SEO.

Our Afternoon Check-In

After my site audit was all sorted out, it was time for my favorite part of the day—the afternoon check-in! When 2:30 strikes, it’s time to take a break, chat with the team, and just get re-pumped for content. We discuss how many tasks we have left for the day, but we also discuss anything weird or interesting people learned over the course of their editing. One time, we started talking about a pig that was a witness during a witch trial, and our manager started crying she was laughing so hard. We also do some group stretching, since one of our fun facts that wasn’t so fun was about how sitting around at a desk all day can kill you. Doing a bit of office yoga makes us all feel more relaxed and less likely to have our muscles solidify in a sitting position.

Winding Down

With a pretty hectic morning, I was glad for a “more of the same” kind of afternoon. I edited some tasks, which helped to clear out the team bucket (the list of all the tasks on the team for the day). When you’ve got a robust workload, it’s surprising how fast the day goes by.

Before I knew it, it was 5 o’clock. If it was Friday, it would have ended with “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan blasting from someone’s computer. Since it was only Monday though, the denouement was more casual, with a chorus of “bye, y’all’s” echoing around the office. Friendly place, New Orleans. Speaking of, if you live in New Orleans or want an excuse to move here (and who doesn’t?), and you read and write English (or French or Spanish), you really should apply to join Content Team. With every day being as fun as this one, it’s sure to be a career, you won’t forget.

September 29, 2016
Don’t Feed the Trolls: A Crash Course in Dealing With Twitter Trolls

Beware of Trolls

Bridges, the mountains of Skyrim, and Twitter. What do these places all have in common? You have a chance of running across a troll that can ruin more than just your day. Bridge trolls aren’t much of an issue since human society has pushed them into barren lands where we’ll never see them again. If you happen to visit Skyrim, you’re sure to have learned how to cast at least one fire spell that can dispatch a troll with haste. If you’re on Twitter, you must adapt to conquer these trolls. They’re smart, resourceful, crude, arrogant, and once they lock in on a target, they won’t stop until it’s gone. It takes one to know one, so I will take it upon myself, a self-admitted troll, to help you identify and eradicate trolls that are attacking you.

What’s a Twitter Troll?

A Twitter Troll, or an Internet Troll in general, is someone who uses the magic of the internet to sew seeds of hatred wherever and whenever they can. No one really knows how it starts, but once it does, it can be very difficult to stop. Unfortunately, Twitter is infamous for being very lax when it comes to individuals spewing hatred, so oftentimes, you will be left alone and cold to deal with them.

How to Combat a Twitter Troll

In my opinion, Twitter doesn’t offer up enough support to deal with toxic entities that troll your business online. Luckily, they don’t have to. Trolls are very predictable, which means dealing with them can be a cinch if you know what you’re doing. Here are some guidelines to follow when engaging in combat:

1: DON’T FEED THE TROLLS!

I swear on everything I hold dear, feeding the trolls will tarnish your image and make you appear just as immature as they are. This, of course, will end negatively for you and your business. Feeding trolls refers to responding to them in a negative fashion. This only fuels their ego and will make them continue to troll you. It may be tempting to be rash since they will likely come at you in a very aggressive, abrasive, crude, and rude manner, but I assure you that will only lead to them setting up shop in your mentions for the Twittersphere to see.

2: Develop an Action Plan

As I mentioned earlier, trolls are very predictable in their attacks. Though they are difficult to deal with, the predictability of their actions and responses makes a premade action plan with some flexibility your best friend. Having some example responses for your social media manager to use is a good way to defeat trolls before they have a chance to really get rolling.

3: Limit the Number of Responses

A hard limit on the number of responses given to trolls is a necessity. A constant back and forth will only fuel their strength and eventually drive you away from the realm of logic and reason. Continuing to engage in their toxic conversation will only succeed in eroding your own mental constitution to the point where your responses look as trivial and childish as the troll’s responses.

4: Don’t Give Them a Platform

In May of this year, a three-year-old boy fell into the gorilla enclosure of the Cincinnati Zoo. He was confronted by a 17-year-old lowland gorilla named Harambe. Zookeepers were forced to kill the gorilla in an attempt to prevent him from injuring the boy. People were upset; Twitter was furious. Of course, heavy-hearted memes were shared, but eventually the pro-Harambe side devolved into an expletive-laced hashtag that was used in response to almost every tweet they sent out. All memes eventually die, but during an interview with the Associate Press, the Cincinnati Zoo director stated that, “We are not amused by the memes, petitions, and signs about Harambe.” This reignited the trolls with such a fierce intensity that they were forced to temporarily shut down their Twitter account. It takes more finesse than just saying, “stop” to truly shut down a troll.

5: Don’t Ignore Them

Possibly worse than telling a troll to “stop” is to not say anything at all. This will more than likely make them extremely volatile and cause them to find a new home inside of your mentions. Also, ignoring a troll allows them to spam you however they seem fit and provides no deterrent since they aren’t being addressed. Confronting them in a professional manner shows them that you don’t tolerate those actions and helps to deter other trolls from setting their sights on your business.

6: Know the Difference Between a Troll and a Customer

Sometimes, a troll isn’t a troll at all. The anonymity of the internet is known for adding otherwise absent machismo to some people. Knowing that tracking them down can sometimes prove an unfruitful waste of time can make people act quite recklessly. Your business needs to be able to determine the difference between a legitimate troll and an angry customer. This takes time, but one telltale sign is if the alleged troll is attacking your product versus attacking you. If they have an issue with your product and not with you, offer a direct message (DM) exchange to try to make things right in a more private manner. Being able to admit a mistake shows a level of authority and passion for your business and can keep customers that may otherwise leave.

7: Speaking of Mistakes…

Admit when you’re wrong. If you own a small local pizza restaurant, people obviously prefer to give you their money over a giant corporation like Domino’s, and don’t mind more than likely paying a premium price for your product. If you deliver an incorrect order, mess up a pizza en route, arrive later than promised, there’s no need to even try to argue. If you’re wrong, admit it, ask for their information via DM, and make an attempt to correct the mistake. The difference here is that your apology is public due to the nature of the complaint.

8: Utilize Available Tools

Twitter is admittedly terrible when it comes to dealing with trolls, but in light of recent events, they have gotten better. In addition to the standard block and mentions settings list, you can customize your settings further to ensure that users aren’t able to mention under certain circumstances. The quality filter will use a newly formed algorithm to help “ignore” low quality tweets and some toxic tweets as well. Tailoring your discovery and mention settings can create an environment that can stave off trolls to a large extent.

Twitter Is a Scary Place

The Twittersphere is not the easiest place to navigate and can be made even more difficult when trolls descend upon you. Top that off with actually running your business instead of being on Social Media all the time and your plate will end up fuller than mine when I go to the buffet. Here at Search Influence, we offer a full suite of social media services so that you can rest a bit easier and focus on running your business instead of running from trolls.

Image 1 Credit | Image 2 Credit

September 13, 2016
Still Not on Twitter? Here are 10 Reasons You Should Be.

Still not sure about Twitter, eh? Maybe because it’s because conversation occurs way too rapidly on Twitter for you to keep up, or maybe it’s because you still don’t know the difference between a tweet and a hashtag. Regardless of what your reason is, it is time to rethink your business’s presence on this opportune social platform. Today, Twitter has transformed into a vital component of any integrated social media marketing strategy and you don’t want to miss out.

Here are 10 reasons why your Facebook needs a Twitter account.

1: It’s Free

There is no better bang for your buck than using free social platforms. With over 1.4 billion users, Twitter offers your business a tremendous opportunity to post live updates that can be found by any of its over 1.4 billion registered users. Can you imagine how much it would cost your business to pay for a tool like Twitter? For a business operating on a smaller marketing budget, utilizing a free yet valuable opportunity like Twitter is worth the investment.

2: Go Where the People Are

When it comes to online marketing (or any form of marketing), you need to invest your time in platforms where your marketing messages are being seen and heard. After all, if your marketing messages are not being seen and heard, then what’s the point? According to DMR, there are 100 million active Twitter users on a daily basis with 34% of these users logging into their account multiple times a day. If you’re trying to get the word out about a business update, sale, or promotion, it would be unwise to utilize a platform solely because of the platform’s expansive reach.

3: Build Relationships

Twitter has more active forms of communication than any other social media platform. The platform is meant to be conversational in a way that Facebook isn’t. On Twitter, you follow profiles instead of friends or making connections like on Facebook or LinkedIn, which makes profiles on Twitter more available to the public. This provides your business the opportunity to strengthen relationships with existing customers and reach out to potential customers (We’ll get to potential customers next!). Pro Tip: When building relationships on Twitter, be genuine. Ask your followers questions. Share some humor. Retweet any posts that your followers send to you. Taco Bell and McDonald’s are two excellent examples of leveraging Twitter to build relationships.

4: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Twitter allows users to retweet. If you post shareable and valuable Twitter information, your followers can engage with your post not only by liking and replying to it, but also by retweeting (aka sharing) it on his or her own profile. Retweeting will make the tweet visible on the Twitter feed of other followers. When consumers retweet, it expands the reach of your brand to potential customers. You can think of retweeting as an opportunity for your brand to gain exposure from potential customers via peer consumers. In this line of thinking, it can be seen as an authentic way for users to endorse your business.

5: User Generated Content

There’s no better way to express how great your business is than to let customers do this for you. Just as followers can retweet your tweets, as a business on Twitter you have the opportunity to retweet user generated content pertaining to your brand. User generated content on Twitter promotes your brand in a way that content curation cannot. It’s also a way of showing your consumers that you appreciate the positive content and that you value them. Starbucks does a great job retweeting user generated content.

6: Hash Tagging Helps Your SEO

A hashtag is a simple feature that allows Twitter to organize and categorize posts based on a topic or theme. When you click on a hashtag, you will be taken to every post that also has the same hashtag. Google has also started incorporating hashtags in search results. In other words, hashtagging a search term on Google will not only provide you with organic search results but Google now also provides you with the results from Twitter and Instagram. Learn more hashtag tips here.

7: Online Reputation Management

People will talk about your business whether you’re active on social media or not. Having a Twitter account for your business provides another avenue to put the ball in your court. Through Twitter, you can reply to disgruntled consumers. In addition, Twitter is also a great tool for public relations. In fact, businesses with an aggressive public relations strategy should use Twitter. Because of the nature of the live feeds, Twitter allows your business to be the first to share important news before a consumer, news agency, and the like.

8: Industry Related Conversations

It’s important for your business to stay attuned to industry conversations because businesses must evolve with the changes in its industry and market. Through hash tags, Twitter can connect your business to meaningful industry-related conversations. Twitter chats are a public Twitter conversation that focuses on a specific topic via the use of a common hashtag. Furthermore, not only can you gain insight on industry happenings, but you can also spy on what people have to say about your competition.

9: Make Your Business Stand Out

If you’re a business on Twitter, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to create a custom hashtag for your business. Using a custom hashtag allows your business to become a trendsetter and extends the reach of your creative branding. It also facilitates a greater engagement with your Twitter followers. Additionally, using a custom hashtag can signal to your Twitter followers that the post containing the custom hashtag is extra special.

10: If You Don’t, Somebody Else Will

Last but not least, if you’re not engaging your audience on Twitter, your competitors will be more than happy to do it for you. Consumers today have plenty of options in purchasing power. Marketing has stepped out of just a one-stop shop and has transformed into maintaining customer relationships before, during, and after a purchase. If your business is currently opting out of a Twitter profile, you are providing your competitors with the opportunity to engage your audience and potentially tap into your current consumer base.

When you finally decide to set up your business’s twitter profile, check out these five businesses that are using Twitter the right way. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow @SearchInfluence on Twitter for valuable tips and tricks for enhancing your business’s online presence! Happy tweeting!

August 16, 2016