1. Posting times are set in stone

This is a very common myth that inexperienced social media marketers fall for. However, the success of a social media campaign largely depends on the industry, target market, platform, and audience. For example, a restaurant will have different peak hours than a convenience store, where most people visit restaurants during the evening on weekends, while a convenience store is most packed at the end of the workday.

While this provides a solid principle for understanding the ideal posting time, you can dig deeper and become even more specific to reach a wider audience. Maybe a large segment of your target audience thinks about making reservations a few hours before the evening, or there’s a segment of the audience that is interested in having a cocktail later during the day? Identifying these different segments and addressing their needs can be done through analytics, and it can increase your turnout by filling time slots that usually see less client activity. As such, there is no one time of day that makes sense across the board for all social media marketing campaigns.

2. It’s all up to the algorithms

Social media algorithms can be quite a mystery, so many marketers will adopt a fatalistic outlook on their posting times. After all, if you cannot figure out the algorithm, you cannot really determine what is optimal and what isn’t. However, this is not really true. While there are many aspects of these algorithms that are hard to peer through from the outside, their goals can be inferred. It is in the interest of social media companies to promote accuracy and relevancy, and they achieve this by collecting and analyzing millions of data samples. These samples help the algorithm to match the best content with the right audience. So, while there is an apparent lack of control over whether your content is considered better for your audience than the content of another company, you can still analyze your audience’s behavior and make sure that you are there on time, at the very least.

3. In order to stay relevant, you have to post daily

While consistency is important, you should still prioritize quality over quantity. You will almost always see better results if you put out quality content consistently, rather than decent content on a daily basis. This is largely due to the algorithms, and the way that marketing works in general. If you publish relevant content on a fairly regular basis, that sends a signal to the social media algorithm, and your content will be pushed to the front of the line in the future. In terms of marketing principles, your target audience may only see your content on the weekends, or during certain days of the week. By putting out content daily, you waste a lot of time into crafting posts, articles, infographics etc. that may not be seen by your prospects.

Do you need help with your social media management efforts in Chicago?

Social media takes some time to master, both in our personal and professional lives. However, when there are budgets on the line, and target numbers to hit, the pressure is on. Hopefully, by clearing some of the myths surrounding this marketing tool, we’ve helped you improve the effectiveness of your campaigns. If you would like to know more about social media management in Chicago, contact us today.

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Facebook Watch

Facebook Watch is the company’s response to the rise and popularity of online video streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube, and it has seen some popularity so far. Facebook reported that in June of 2019, it averaged 140 million viewers daily for the service. This means that we can expect to see a heavy push for the platform in the coming years. What does this mean for your business? More opportunities to advertise. Given the company’s revenue model, we can expect to see the streaming service getting new ad options in the future, which will be a very appealing avenue for businesses in certain industries.

Twitter topics

Twitter has recently given its users the option to follow specific topics alongside accounts. This gives users a new way to stay on top of the latest news and trends for their interests. The other purpose of this new feature is to streamline the onboarding process for new users. A new user may not be aware of the most important accounts within their topic of interest, and they may be turned off by the platform. The topics feature also opens up a new marketing avenue for companies within an industry, while substantially changing some aspects of social media marketing strategy on the platform. A company will be able to enter the stream of its desired topic if it can provide relevant value to its users.

Short-term value content

Short-term value content refers to content that is only relevant and available for a short period of time. This type of content is most prevalent on Instagram and Snapchat, and it is called “Stories”. Stories have exploded in popularity over the last few months, going from 100 million daily active users in October 2016 to 500 million daily active users in January of 2019. Naturally, marketers took notice, and you now have as many as 64% of marketers who integrated or intend to integrate Stories into their social media strategy.

Niche social media platforms

Many companies will focus their social media marketing efforts on large, popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. But over the last few years, new platforms have started to gain a lot of traction. For example, you have TikTok, a platform launched in 2016 that is currently immensely popular among the younger generation. You also have LinkedIn, which is far from being a new platform to the market, that serves a niche audience of business professionals, making it ideal for B2B companies. Other niche platforms include gaming hubs such as Twitch, messaging apps such as WhatsApp or WeChat, and content aggregators such as Reddit. Depending on your industry and target market, these growing platforms will offer a unique marketing opportunity for your business.

No more likes on Instagram

Any large changes implemented by Instagram will have a ripple effect throughout the social media ecosystem, which is why Instagram removing the “like” feature is a big deal. The stated reason for this removal is to promote mental health, since users perceive that likes reflect a person’s social value. More cynical observers claim that the removal has a different reason behind it. A big part of marketing on Instagram revolves around influencer advertising, which does not funnel money through the company. It is suspected that by removing likes, Instagram hopes to encourage brands to invest into their proprietary Instagram ads system. Whatever the case may be, this will make it harder to measure the direct impact of an influencer campaign, and it may lead to other platforms removing the feature as well.

Are you interested in boosting your social media marketing efforts in Chicago?

We are the premier social media management Chicago for businesses of all sizes. If you are looking to improve your online marketing efforts in 2020, contact us today for a free quote!

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However, social media marketing can become quite the chore when it is done ineffectively. You will soon find out that you need a constant stream of content, customer interaction, and effort just to keep up with the competition. This can mean time and, of course, money. So, what is the solution? The solution is to become more efficient and effective in your campaigns, and in this article, we’re going to show you how to do just that.

1. Emphasize Quality

Content must flow if you want your social marketing efforts to be on par, but you stand to gain much more if you lower the output and increase the quality. The aim of any marketing effort is to draw people into the sales funnel—this is true whether you’re trying to make them aware of one of their needs that has to be fulfilled, or whether you’re presenting your product or service as a solution to their particular issue. If you post a ton of content onto the internet, you may have tremendous output that lights up on social media for a week or two; however, if there is no human response or connection to the content, then your efforts are in vain when it comes to actually converting customers.

2. Use Data to Its Full Potential

Different social media platforms respond to different elements of your marketing effort, and if you want to find out what works and what doesn’t, it’s wise to look at the data. Luckily all platforms offer data analysis tools in one form or another. These tools will help you figure out which subjects, type of posts, and post frequency net the best results. For example, on Twitter, you may find that by raising the number of posts that you put out each week, you raise the number of visits to your website. While this data may seem to conflict with the idea that quality is better than quantity, the fact of the matter is that you do not have to choose between the two. Having one or more copywriters/social media managers can help you maintain the quality of your posts while raising the output. If the traffic and conversions generated through an increase in output is large enough, it may be a sound financial decision to bring one or more freelancers on board to help with the extra work.

3. Become More Efficient with Social Media Tools

In order to achieve the maximum amount of high-quality posts, you should also consider using social media tools that allow you to schedule posts, or to automate certain repetitive tasks. These tools can be force multipliers, and with a one-time investment or a small monthly fee, they will be available to your team members for as long as they are needed.

Outsourcing Social Media Management in Milwaukee to a Milwaukee Social Media Management Agency

One popular method to improve the ROI on your marketing budget is to hire a professional team that handles social media management in Milwaukee. If you would like to know more about the benefits and pricing of this service, contact us today!

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1. Offer Value to Your Followers

The purpose of a content marketing strategy is to entice users by offering them something valuable for free. If all you do is promote your products and services aimlessly, many of your users will have no real reason to follow your Twitter account. However, if you offer guides, infographics, and other valuable tidbits for free, your customers are incentivized to keep an eye on your twitter feed. Other valuable pieces of content include live Q&A’s, industry seminars, and hosting third-party content on your blog. Visual media can also be a big draw, and quality images and gifs are always shareable.

2. Use Twitter as a Customer Support Platform

With the advent of the internet, live chat support has become the preferred method for most customers. Placing a call, sending an email, or visiting a company’s physical location are much more inconvenient when compared to live chat, which can happen either through a website widget or through social media. In fact, most companies will use Twitter for this purpose. On Twitter, the atmosphere is more relaxed, and this allows a brand to form very positive relationships with their users.

3. Use Humor in Your Posts

Not every post has to offer value in the form of concrete information or problem-solving advice. Value can also take the form of a humorous post or meme. Sometimes, this can be even more effective when you’re trying to create content that is shareable and which encourages customer retention. Think about all the accounts and brands that you follow on Twitter simply because they make you laugh every now and then.

However, you should not throw caution to the wind here. Bad or inappropriate jokes may backfire, and some industries are not well suited for this strategy (the corporate, legal, and medical fields, for example). Here, seriousness will be more effective. However, most consumer brands can definitely dip their toes into the more humorous side of brand marketing.

4. Use Short-form Video

Short-form video has some of the highest engagement rates on social media, to the tune of 10x as much engagement as regular content. If that’s not enough, there are currently 2 times more video views on Twitter in 2019 than there were at the same time in 2018, which is quite the growth rate.

Make sure that the videos are mobile friendly, since 90% of video views occur on mobile devices. The best format here is 4:3, and subtitles are a good idea, because a considerable segment of the user base prefers to view videos without sound every so often. Make sure that they are also short and to the point.

Tailoring the Right Strategy for Your Brand

If you would like to build a strategy that is best suited for your brand in order to receive the highest ROI, it’s best to contact a professional Arlington Heights digital marketing agency. We offer social media management in Arlington Heights, and our services are designed to draw in the user base you need in order to make your business grow. For more information, contact us today!

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1. Quick Responses

Being quick to respond on social media is extremely important if you want to get the most out of this marketing strategy. According to a study conducted by Millward Brown, 53% of customers who reach out to a company via Twitter expect a response in less than an hour, with 72% of them expecting this type of rapid response if they have a complaint.

2. Full Organization Engagement

Communication is easier than ever, and reaching out to an expert in a certain field or department can be done quickly and painlessly. This is why it makes sense to have a company-policy that allows social media managers to communicate with experts across different departments in order to address customer issues more meaningfully.

3. Share Positive Feedback

When you receive positive feedback for your products, services, or after solving a specific customer issue, make sure that you share that feedback—both through your social media channels, and internally. Positive feedback is a great motivator, and it helps encourage your team to be even more involved in delivering quality products and services.

4. Be Proactive with Your Posts

When you first begin your social media marketing campaign, you will inevitably have to post “in the dark”, so to speak. You will have no data about your user base. However, as your posts build up, and as you see how they reach people at different times of the day, you can start gathering information about which messages have the greatest impact on your audience. Gathering and analyzing this information is the cornerstone of effective social media management.

5. Engage in Conversation

Social media provides a unique opportunity to truly engage with your followers. Conversations are much more effective than advertising, especially when targeting people in younger demographics. This can range from offering customer support, to creating contests on social media, participating in AMAs (ask me anything), and engaging with influencers to spread your reach.

6. Make Use of Tools

There are numerous free tools out there that can make your job easier, from post-schedulers, to the social media platforms’ built-in analytics tools. All of these can help you increase the effectiveness of your work over time by removing repetitive tasks and providing you with the information you need to grow your reach.

7. Set Goals and Iterate

An iterative approach will help you understand which techniques and methods work best for your stated business goals. For example, let’s say you want to increase exposure and engagement for your blog, which is meant to provide valuable content and convert top of the sales funnel users. In this case, you can split your efforts into four-week segments, and at the end of every four weeks, you should try a new way, or a slightly different approach to reaching a certain engagement goal. Over time, you will be able to use compounded tactics and reach business goals at a higher ROI.

If you are interested in learning more about social media management in Naperville, or if you would like to outsource this aspect of your online marketing efforts, contact us today. We would be happy to help you develop an effective long-term social media strategy that will help your business flourish.

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1. Reconnaissance

The wrong way to approach social media management is to look at it as a megaphone or billboard. You will end up losing most of the value this way. Social media offers a unique opportunity, and something for which most business used to pay good money in the a past – you are able to interact directly with your users, and build user profiles just by checking out their social media accounts. This not only helps you better target your customer base, it also allows you to craft a more effective social media strategy, and it can even have an effect on product development.

2. Focus

It’s important to know your objectives for your social media campaigns. For example, it would be a waste of resources to simply accrue a huge following if they do not translate into conversions/sales. As such, you have to take focus into account. You will have much more positive results if you focus on one key goal or area, and then measure your progress towards that goal, rather than using a scattered approach.

3. Quality

Quality is a lot more important than quantity on social media, both in terms of your followers and of your efforts. You want to have a small captive audience, rather than a large number of followers who will never buy anything from you. In terms of content, you want to focus on quality – provide something of use to your followers. This helps improve engagement, exposure and reach.

4. Compounding

Quality content is more likely to be shared by your audience. This means that you will reach beyond your network, and receive a sort of compounded benefit for everything that you publish. The previous principles will help you achieve this effect, ensuring that over time, your marketing dollars deliver more and more value each time you invest. It is a very powerful principle once you put it into play.

5. Reciprocity

It’s important to start thinking about social media marketing as building relationships with your users. This can consist of replying and sharing your prospects’ comments and posts, liking content from other influencers and brands, and entering conversations with your userbase. Of course, you want to keep track of your results so that you can get the highest ROI per campaign, but it’s important to invest more time in actual reciprocity and interaction, rather than in analysis and abstract planning.

6. Consistency

Finally, you need consistency in order to tie it all together. You will need a lot of patience and consistent effort in order to build the relationships you need with your users. The more you engage on social media, the more content you post, and the more regularly you do so, the better the results at the end of the day.

Want to find out more?

If you are interested in social media management in Arlington Heights, contact us today. We are able to provide insights into your current marketing efforts, and build strategies for your investments into social media going forward.

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1. Increases the Strength of Your Brand

Getting started with social media marketing agency in Chicago is incredibly easy, and the initial results are almost instantaneous. All you have to do is create your profiles and start networking with other users. Without too much effort, you will be able to greatly increase the visibility of your brand. In fact, 91% of marketers that use social media report that they’re able to increase brand visibility and improve the general user experience of their products or services with only a few hours of activity each week. The benefits also extend the more you use social media, increasing brand loyalty and customer retention through promotional campaigns, and improving brand authority through content marketing.

2. Allows You to Engage Directly with Customers

By implementing a social media marketing campaign, your brand will be able to engage customers directly. This has several benefits, including the ability to receive rapid, cost-effective feedback, either through polls or by asking users their opinion on a topic in one of your posts. Furthermore, studies have shown that companies engaged in social media marketing in Chicago have more loyal customers. According to a recent study, 53% of Americans who follow a brand on social media are more loyal to that brand.

3. Cost-effective

You only need to be active about 6 hours every week in order to generate increased traffic for your website through social media. That is a very insignificant time investment when you consider the sheer size and reach of social media. With a consistent effort of one hour per day, you could craft the content and engagement you need to see results. If we take paid advertising into account, you still don’t have to worry about any large investments. Facebook and Twitter are both relatively cheap platforms to advertise on, and as you gain experience and raise your budget, your conversion rate should grow higher and higher.

4. Drives Traffic to Your Website

Social media can be a great way to draw in traffic to your website. At this point, you may be drawing inbound traffic through SEO or word of mouth, but both options can be very slow, or very limited at first. Social media, on the other hand, can be a channel for rapid development. You are able to almost instantaneously reach other users, and with a strong strategy behind your efforts, you can provide enough value through your content to grow your brand tremendously. After all, people love quality content, and the more you put out there, the more inbound traffic and interest for your brand you will generate.

5. Improves Your SEO

Not only will you increase traffic to your website through social media platforms, you will also increase your search engine rankings. Under the current guidelines, search engines such as Google and Bing consider social media presence as a significant ranking factor. If you think about it, it makes sense—just about all well-established brands have a strong social media presence. This means that if you have a strong presence on these platforms, you will start sending “brand signals” to search engines, establishing yourself as a trustworthy, credible, and legitimate business.

If you would like to grow your business and benefit from social media marketing, contact Digital Destination today to learn more! We are the premier social media management advertising agency in Chicago and the United States.

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1. Set Clear Goals Aimed at Addressing Business Needs

In order for a strategy to be effective, you have to root it in a relevant business objective. The opportunities presented by social media marketing in Chicago are numerous, and without identifying the key goals of a campaign, you can get stuck in chasing dozens of objectives at a time while reaching none of them. Here are some of the most popular objectives for a campaign:

• Lead generation
• Sales increase
• Customer support through social media
• Increased brand awareness
• Enhanced customer retention

Once you set and understand the goals of a campaign, everything else comes naturally—from platform selection, to engagement methods, and content creation. For example, if you aim to generate B2B leads through your marketing efforts, you’ll want to choose LinkedIn as your platform of choice, and your content will take a certain tone and style. When compared to a brand awareness campaign on Facebook, these are two totally different campaigns.

2. Pick the Proper Social Media Platforms

As mentioned above, the goal you pick will determine your choice of platform. Each platform has a certain demographic and its own unique mechanisms. As such, you will want to pick the platform that can deliver the best results for the smallest investment. You will want to take into account the various strengths and weaknesses of each platform, and perhaps combine your approach on two or more platforms. For example, if you have a content marketing strategy that can reach different sets of users across different platforms, you’ll want to promote your content through all of your profiles, and thus draw in a varied crowd of leads. Not only will this increase your reach, it can also serve as A/B testing to see how different demographics respond to different types of content.

3. Build a Repertoire of Unique Content

Speaking of content, always keep in mind that it is the lifeblood of any effective campaign. Without relevant content, one study found that 41% of customers will unfollow a brand. Think about it—what makes you interested in a person, brand or activity? It is entertainment, new knowledge, or authenticity? If you can provide this type of content to your users, you will keep them hooked, and you will be able to maintain a healthy follower base.

4. Promote Your Brand Across Platforms

If you have more success growing an audience on one platform, there’s no reason to keep all those people in one place. You can use cross-promotion efforts to leverage the success of one platform and grow the others. Here are some tactics that you can use to cross-promote across different mediums and platforms:

• Add links to your other accounts in the biography of each profile
• Offer platform-exclusive content
• Partner with an influencer on the target platform who will help promote your brand
• Add social media links and icons in your marketing emails
• Cross-promote with a non-competitive brand on social media

With a comprehensive, multi-platform strategy, you can make the most out of your social media campaigns and ensure that your objectives are met at a very appealing ROI. If you would like to implement a successful social media strategy for your business or brand, contact Digital Destination today to request a free analysis.  As the best and highest ranked social media agency in Chicago, we have the solutions to build a social media strategy for your company.

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